Labrador Records just keeps on churning out albums. Now Sambassadeur have announced they’ve finished a new album, due for release in January. A single will be officially released in just a few days. It is already available as free download on the Labrador site, so here goes:

MP3: Sambassadeur – Days

Myspace | Official site

As previously reported, Vampire Weekend are currently doing a whole lot of dates in California at the moment. The good news is that they’ll be hitting our shores in February where they’ll be playing tracks from their new LP Contra.

07/02 Cambridge Corn Exchange
08/02 Manchester Apollo
09/02 O2 Academy Leeds
10/02 O2 Academy Birmingham
12/02 O2 Academy Newcastle
13/02 Glasgow Barrowlands
14/02 Picture House Edinburgh
16/02 O2 Academy Brixton

Homepage | MySpace

Labrador Records have just released what they modestly call “the best album you’ll hear this year”. We’ll see about that but here’s a taster from the new Mary Onettes album, a song called “Puzzles”. The band is touring USA, Sweden and Germany this month (Union Hall in Brooklyn tonight). I’ve never given this band a proper listen to, but I tend to trust Labrador, they’ve released some pretty gorgeous gems to date.

MP3: The Mary Onettes – Puzzles

Watch the video | Labrador Records | Myspace | Tour dates

The simplest songs are often the best ones. Some of you might recognize a little band from Chicago called Very Truly Yours. Their leading lady, Kristine, has also been recording solo material under the moniker Tiny Microphone and her song, “You Disappear” has been reverberating around my skull for the past months. I like it’s simplicity and in particular how the distorted guitars kind of swerve off the road in a few places. You can practically feel them tipping over the side and then righting themselves again. 

Wanting to give this song a prominent place in a blog post, I picked up the courage to write to Kristine herself and get the background of the song. You can listen to the song in the meantime here. I suggest turning up the volume.

“You disappear” was written during a kind of sad time of my life. I had just graduated from college, and had a very hard time figuring out what to do with my life. Honestly, i’m still having that problem..but back then, i didn’t have much money and i didn’t have a job, and i had a lot of time.  I was very confused.  As a child, i felt like  i could do anything when i “grew up”. And when i kept unsuccessfully looking for work, i felt like, at this point in my life, i was lied to. The album that it is on, “Home,” draws a lot of references to finding your place, and me not knowing where that was.

As far as how i wrote it, it kind of just came to me.  It was one of the easiest for me to write and record.  I did both in a matter of hours.  To be honest, it was such a quick process, that if you asked me to play it, i wouldn’t remember off the top of my head…

Here are the lushly sung lyrics:

Start with nothing
nobody knows your name
and in your bedroom the city keeps its pace
all alone you feel satisfied
and when someone calls
you disappear

When I knew you
you used to laugh
when I hear of you
they say you’ve changed
take me to a place where no one knows my name
I can’t keep feeling the same thing
I want to learn to love and feel with you

Dear, if my heart explodes in the sky
will it give you piece of mind
to know when it falls
it falls for you

MP3: Tiny Microphone – You disappear

Myspace

Laura Watling had a song posted on Shelflife’s blog recently. She’s been busy working on a new album. The album will be called “Songs from Dreams”. The song is called “Let’s Go” and she wants to make it perfectly clear that this is a rough mix. I’m with Ed from Shelflife when I say, it sounds pretty darn good as it is. I can only imagine what she’ll be doing to make it better. I can’t wait to find out.

Laura Watling – Let’s Go

Shelflife Blog
Shelflife

Here is what was played at last Friday’s Scared To Dance night. Again another great turnout so thanks to all those who made the effort and came down. and joined in the spooky fun! The nest night will be on 27th November with indie mp3 fave MJ Hibbett doing the guest DJ honours. More details to follow.

Tom

New Order – Hurt
Section 25 – Looking From A Hilltop
The Wake – Talk About The Past
Half Man Half Biscuit – Dickie Davies Eyes
Echo & The Bunnymen – I Think I Need It Too
Friends – Far And Away
The Lodger – I Think I Need You
Field Mice – End Of The Affair
Cocteau Twins – Feather Oar Blades
Sister Vanilla – Can’t Stop The Rock
The Del-Vetts – Last Time Around
Siouxsie & The Banshees – Spellbound
Decibelles – Vivre Ecorché
Wire – Y Side (12XU)
R Dean Taylor – Ghost In My House
The Servants – A Sun, A Small Star
The Claim – Picking Up The Bitter Little Pieces
Killing Joke – Love Like Blood
Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – Young Adult Friction
Close Lobsters – Fire Station Towers
Velocette – Bitterscene
The Drums – Let’s Go Surfing
Field Mice – Sensitive

Guest DJ – Chimes (Penelope Tree/Ten Year Plan)

Requiem – Killing Joke
The American – Simple Minds
Revolutionary Spirit – Wild Swans
Dreams Never End – New Order
Clint – Sad Lovers And Giants
Swords Of A Thousand Men – Tenpole Tudor
I Think I Need Help – Farmers Boys
The Banner Of Love – Zerra 1
Human Features – Black
News At Ten – The Vapors
Car Trouble – Adam & The Ants
Jimmy Jimmy – The Undertones
At The Edge – Stiff Little Fingers
Edward Fox – Smack
Working for the Yankee Dollar – The Skids
Cath – The Bluebells
Novelty – Joy Division
Cries and Whispers – New Order
Dreaming Of Me – Depeche Mode
A Day Without Me – U2
In The Bus Shelter – Jilted John
Banana Splits – The Dickies
Bloody – Golinski Brothers
Hymn From A Village – James
Jacobs Ladder – The Monochrome Set
Johnny Come Home – Fine Young Cannibals
Is Vic There? – Department S
Candyskin – Fire Engines
24 Hours – The Chefs
Getting Beaten Up – The Piranhas
Shack Up – A Certain Ratio

Paul

Slow Club – Trophy Room
Bye Bye Bicycle – Haby Bay
Camera Obscura – The Sweetest Thing
Herman Düne – I Wish That I Could See You Soon
The Smiths – Still Ill
Vampire Weekend – A-Punk
MJ Hibbett & The Validators – Tell Me Something You Do Like
Belle and Sebastian – Sukie In The Graveyard
The Housemartins – The Mighty Ship
Los Campesinos! – My Year In Lists
Sandie Shaw – Hand In Glove
Blondie – Hanging On The Telephone
Television – See No Evil
Ramones – Blitzkrieg Bop
New York Dolls – Trash
The Sonics – Roll Over Beethoven
The Stooges – I Wanna Be Your Dog
David Bowie – Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
Associates – Party Fears Two
Gary Numan – Are ‘Friends’ Electric?
Joy Division – Isolation
The Jesus and Mary Chain – Never Understand
XTC – This Is Pop?
The June Brides – Sick, Tired and Drunk
The Wave Pictures – Strange Fruit For David
McCarthy – Monetaries
The Modern Lovers – Roadrunner
Belle and Sebastian – Lazy Line Painter Jane
Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
Orange Juice – Falling And Laughing
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Higher Than The Stars
Jens Lekman – Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo
Dexys Midnight Runners – Seven Days Too Long
Camera Obscura – If Looks Could Kill

Those who have Spotify can stream a playlist featuring some of these songs (over 3 hours worth!) here.

Ex June Brides frontman Phil Wilson is continuing with his covers EP theme by recording acoustic covers of June Brides songs for a release next year. Wilson has made an mp3 available of Just the Same which originally appeared on 1986’s This Town EP. The EP is due for a release on Edition 59 Records next year.

Wilson and his current band are currently recording brand new songs which hopefully will appear on Slumberland and Yesboyicecream in the spring of next year.

Phil Wilson – Just The Same (Solo)

My Space | Homepage

Decibelles are an all girl French three piece who make a hell of a lot of noise. Their new single , released on the excellently named April 77 Records, clocks in at just 46 seconds but in that short space of time it makes you think, smile and dance like a loon. Flip side Black Dive manages to get past the minute mark managing to drain emotions aplenty from the listener. If the likes of Bikini Kill or Period Pains rock your world then this lot are well worth a download.

You can stream both sides of the single from here.

My Space

I wonder what Linda Guilala means. I know however that their latest hit single is named “Nadie se dará cuenta“, which google tells me is “Nobody will notice”. Somebody should notice this band however since it’s formed out of the ashes of the venerable pop-punk band Juniper Moon from Spain. Apparently Iván the drummer and keyboardist Eva wouldn’t stop there and so Linda Guilala was formed four years ago.  Their new album, Bucles Infinitos (Infinite Loops) is just out on Elefant Records. While loving Juniper Moon I’ve never properly listened to this band, I think it’s time to make amends, and it starts with this song. Gotta love those delicately distorted guitars.  

MP3: Linda Guilala – Nadie se dará cuenta (avilable for one month only)

Myspace | Elefant Records band page

And if you’ve forgotten about Juniper Moon, check this out.

Just a reminder that it is the next installment of our Scared To Dance night this coming Friday. It takes place in our usual venue The Slaughtered Lamb in Clerkenwell and runs between 8pm and 1am the following morning. It’s free entry!

Alongside the regular dj’s will be our special guest disc spinner in the shape of Chimes who used to run the most excellent Penelope Tree and Ten Year Club nights in London Town.

Expect to hear the likes of The Pains! Talking Heads! Camera Obscura! Jens Lekman! Television! McCarthy! Belle and Sebastian! The Primitives! XTC! Joy Division! Associates! MJ Hibbett & The Validators! The Smiths! Herman Düne! and many more!

The Wave Pictures are playing the Garage the same night. For those of you who are going we’re just a short tube journey to Barbican/Farringdon.

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