I Shot The Pilot - EP One: Death Of History

I Shot The Pilot are a new bands from four old wise heads, featuring former members of Leicestershire icons Have A Go Hero. Death Of History has four tracks on it, all of which are songs with singing and music, a little bit of bass, guitar and some guy pounding away at his drums. Quick frankly that should get you listening but if you need the opinion of someone more respectful, then read below.

Sir David Frederick Attenborough has been championing the band recently and had these words to say; "Sometimes the vocals are so loud that only the Great Horned Owl is the only species on this planet that can handle it, obviously at a safe distance, in it's homeland of South America...and I should know, I've met a few of these Owl chaps".

I Shot The Pilot - EP One: Death Of History (Stream and free download)
Last.fm

REET.

Wilson Fisk - The Bear Cub EP

I really did mean to post this late last year/early this year when the EP was made as a free download by the band but, like everything, it passed me by.

Wilson Fisk are a foursome from Exeter/Watford/Kent (UK) and play some lovely indie rock much like Calories or a more melodic version of Blakfish, actually it's pretty hard to say these sound like (urgh, I hate comparing) just one band. In fact there's probably a handful of American bands that I could try and pin them down to...but I'm just too lazy and I would rather spend my time listening to this.

RIYL: Calories, Blakfish, Polar Bear Club, Bronze Medals, Switzerland, Secondsmile.

Preview of 'You Should Write Manuals'


The Bear Cub EP on bandcamp
Wilson Fisk myspace

The 255s - Broadcasting

Recorded back in June 2009, The 255s were looking to release Broadcasting in physical form. In Jan/Feb 2010, they're still searching.

This has kindly been put up for free download until that situation is sorted, from what I've read, it might only be a limited run. So what better way to find a new favourite band?

"The 255s are 3 piece DIY rock from Manchester and Liverpool. Formed from the Ashes of For Old Times Sake and The Machines will Take over."

RIYL: The Weakerthans, Piebald, Shermer, Superchunk, Failures Union.

Preview of 'Life In A Plastic Lens'



Broadcasting zip
The 255s myspace
The 255s last.fm

Free The Tupolev Ghost On If You Make It

You heard me, in connection with lovely Kev at Big Scary Monsters, you can get the Self Titled from The Tupolev Ghost for free from the If You Make It website (let's be honest, most of the stuff I link is from IYMI).

The Tupolev Ghost were a post-hardcore band from Cambridge (UK), I think they had a few line up changes in the few years they were together, they did sound different on the the two other EPs released before this mini album. Anyway, they pretty much did no wrong, signed to one of the best UK record labels, played Fest last year, played with so many other sick bands...I'm not even sure why anyone would want such a good thing come to an end.

You can still buy this mini album, one of their older EPs, the split (with Brontide, Shapes and Holy State) plus other merch from them or Big Scary Monsters...both will be linked at the bottom.

RIYL: Great British bands like Blakfish, Meet Me In St. Louis, Mclusky, Spy vs Spy and international bands like Hot Snakes, Fugazi and Mutiny On The Bounty.

Here's a preview, 'Giant Fucking Haystacks' because it was my favourite song of 2009:



Find the record here on If You Make It
Big Scary Monsters
The Tupolev Ghost Myspace
Last.fm
Band website

Adorno - Said and Unsaid 7"

These guys are Portugal and I'm not totally sure if they sing in English or not [I'm pretty sure they do]. Anyway they've been around a while and they've released a few things, a split with Syn*Error, 'Year One' and quite a few other splits and CDR's.

They play a melodic, distorted style of punk that reminds me of the first time I heard almost every band on the Dischord roster years back. Previous material always seemed a bit more faster than the four tracks on here, I love that it's not if your face, instead you can digest all the delay pedals and melodic vocals like (mentioned before) '80s/'90s post-punk bands on Dischord...or even End Of A Year.

"Said and Unsaid"


Adorno on Last.fm (you can also find downloads on here)
Myspace

Musings: Iron Chic / Thousandaires

I wanted to group these two bands both together because I basically got into both of them though If You Make It and because I didn't want to feel like I had to write a whole lot.

So this is the demo that's been floating around the wide world webnets since 2008 but I only became aware of how awesome this band is on their next release entitled 'Shitty Rambo'.

Iron Chic's formula are part Latterman, Small Arms Dealer and a sprinkle of Agent, so it's already awesome right there. If you were (and still are, in a listening sense) into Latterman then this is the one for you for sure. Five songs of dynamic Punk Rock that even touch some melodic hardcore or even '90s influenced emo like Braid and that. It's the sort of sound that most bands only find on their second 7" or EP, this right here, is straight off the bat from a demo.

RIYL: Latterman, Get Bent, Polar Bear Club

"Steel Wall Method"


Download the Iron Chic Demo (and donate to IYMI) here at If You Make It
Iron Chic on Last.fm
Iron Chic on myspace
Buy Shitty Rambo on Dead Broke Records



Thousandaires comprises members of Get Bent, Bridge and Tunnel and Halo Fauna. The 'Land Seal Demo' is just three tracks of solid indie punk rock, it actually makes me want to sing along every time. Really feel weird for saying this but...kinda reminds me of Bear vs Shark too.

RIYL: All of the above.

"20 40 60 80 90"


'Land Seal Demo' on If You Make It
Last.fm
Myspace

Small Brown Bike - Composite Vol. 1

So we've all heard the Small Brown Bike are back, writing and touring since late last year...well I guess it's one of those things that you don't 100% believe until you've either seen them live or heard new material, well happy times, here's some of the latter.

This 7" courtesy of No Idea Records dropped on 31st October last year, it's taken me a while to even mention it, let alone talk about it (I was secretly hoping for news of newer material and more shows). Anyway here goes.

The first track on the 7" 'When We Run' sounds just like anything amazing SMB have done before, it's quite hard to believe that this is the first new bit of material the boys have recorded since 2003's 'River Bed'. It fits in as though their last record was released last week. The bass rumbles and the vocals are unmistakable to any SMB fan and part time listener alike. Fast yet sludgy, melodic yet rough, it's starting to sound like a bit of an old school gruff anthem too.

On the flip side 'Hourglass' is the other song on this record and it sounds a little less produced, maybe rushed, it's still Small Brown Bike but yet sounds like it's lacking something. More duelling vocals on this, kinda sounds like one of the newer "gruff types" that last.fm always recommends you. Still, I could never hate it, not with that name on the front of the record.

Listen to it here on No Idea Records

Footnotes - Everything Last Year

"Dance and be happy!"

The two youngsters from New Jersey are back...this time with their first full length. An eight track full length to be precise, three tracks taken from the bands previous releases, Winter EP and Friends Demo - Boy Hair, I've Never Been To Easter Island and Sean's Song (acoustic on this record) - plus five brand new songs.

The newly recorded songs don't disappoint, sticking to the same formula as previous material, which means that we all win. Not too twiddly as to be confused with a American Football fanboy band, loads of comparisons here though...So check out if you like; Everyone Everywhere, Little Kingdoms, Pirouette, Algernon Cadwallader, Bob Tilton, Avast...etc times infinity.

01. It's Brokay (You'll Get It Fuck Right Someday)
02. Boy Hair
03. Reverse Speaking
04. Girls
05. Goofy Looking Birds
06. I've Never Been To Easter Island
07. It Gets Better
08. Sean's Song (Acoustic)

All in all it's pretty RAD.

download for free here
Footnotes Myspace here
Last.fm here

My Top 25 Records Of The Year 2009 (10 - 1)

So here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for...with added blurbs.

010. Calories - Adventuring

So tightly compacted that even the verses play like choruses, and its entire debut set Adventuring is done almost as soon as it begins.

009. We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls
One of the most emotional Scottish releases since 100 Broken Windows. 'Quiet Little Voices' was up there with my favourite singles of the year, rules so hard.

008. Telekinesis - Telekinesis!
Thirty minutes of wit and charm like it was sung from the mouth of Ben Gibbard's alter-ego.

007. New Found Glory - Not Without A Fight

Anthems of a sixteen year old girl...from a boy's perspective. NFG always bring the FUN, FUN, FUN. This was possibly my most played album of the year by far.

006. Future Of The Left - Travels With Myself And Another

More comedy gold from Falco. More footstomping anthems from one of the best current bands in Wales. So underrated by many this year...but I thought it was a little stronger than the debut.

005. Japandroids - Post-Nothing

I wasn't into this band when told they were another Noise two piece, but then I found out that they're secretly an old school emo album, something like what Braid would have recorded if they carried on.

004. Castevet - Summer Fences

Another Midwest indiemo album that British bands like TTNG try inspire to sound lie. Also have an upcoming release on Big Scary Monsters next year...it's probably going to be this record.

003. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart

Last December I said this would be in a lot of people's hearts this year and I meant it. Almost played a perfect set at ATP.

002. A Place To Bury Strangers - Exploding Head

I tried not to get into any of the new school shoegaze (or whatever this is?) bands but this record is what I've been waiting to hear for the last couple of years.

001. Annabel - Each And Everyone
In a league of it's own this year from the first time I heard it. Indie Rock that blends gentle hints of shoegaze whilst still sounding like Built To Spill/The Weakerthans/Pavement gives a refreshing sound to indiemo. Soft vocals that intertwine with the instruments so much so that you hardly notice the next build up into an epic landscape of sound. It's also the sound that I thought Cheap Girls might have managed on their second record.

My Top 25 Records Of The Year 2009 (25 - 11)

Well, that's behind us then, here's to another year (raises mug of tea). Here's my favourite records from last year, all compiled into a nice list of twenty five, this was made easier by what stuff I listened to more than twice (sadly, a lot of records didn't fit this criteria).

025. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

024. Baroness - Blue Record
023. Empire! Empire! (I Was A Lonely Estate) - What It Takes To Move Forward

022. Converge - Axe to Fall
021. Title Fight - The Last Thing You Forget

020. Fireworks - All I Have To Offer Is My Own Confusion

019. The Ghost Of A Thousand - New Hopes, New Demonstrations

018. Blakfish - Champions

017. Little Lungs - Hoist Me Up!

016. Tubelord - Our First American Friends

015. Teenage Cool Kids - Foreign Lands

014. There Will Be Fireworks - There Will Be Fireworks
013. Kevin Devine - Brothers Blood
012. The Tupolev Ghost - The Tupolev Ghost

011. Dananananaykroyd - Hey Everyone