Zut Alors

Another quickie…

Zut Alors have finally put out their amazing Torr EP… I can’t begin to tell you how good it is… go and get it.

Basic Sounds

Just a quickie…

Basic Sounds (awesome source for electronic music) has had a makeover, and is now functioning as a netlabel. Looks like their first release(?) is up and running and free for the taking, go check it out.

Stewart Ford

Stewart is the man most responsible for The Swiss, but, coming from the school of unstoppable creative entrepreneurs, he has found the time to write and record hundreds – probably millions – of solo albums, the latest of which, ‘Silence Is Golden’, he is giving away for free from his MySpace.

Stewart’s approach to songwriting is fascinating: his songs defy conventional structures, timings, and even the laws of common sense, yet to the uninformed ear these chirpy ballads sound sweet and innocent, albeit with some bite. Stew utilises simplistic, stripped-back sounds from the instruments – clean electric guitars, drums, bass and a few organ sounds – to chase intricate melodies, counter-melodies and polyrhythms beneath punchy vocal hooks, and the end result is a set of songs that are impossible to categorise, and almost equally hard to get out of your head. ‘Silence Is Golden’ is one of the most refreshing things you will hear, and I really can’t recommend getting it – and taking the time to get to know it – enough.

find out more about Stew from his MySpace.

Comadre/Glasses

edit: since I wrote this post, the Comadre website has gone offline. keeping checking back, or hit up their myspace for now.

These two awesome hardcore/screamo bands have put together an awesome split which you can download for free courtesy of Comadre (who give away a whole load of stuff on their website). I actually first heard Glasses on one of Comadre’s awesome mixtapes (see the website ^), and I thought they were pretty darn cool, so to be handed 15 minutes of noisy, messy, shoutyness courtesy of both bands made my heart skip with joy. I’ve just started giving this a proper listen and it does not disappoint, fantasticly gritty riffs and ballsy vocals and a whole lotta fun.

(By the way, I could go on and on about how cool Comadre are – check out their tumblr and find out for yourself).