The Bloodbuzzed Jukebox Week 249

After some intense days of work, decisions, anxiety and changes, we have landed on this long weekend with a spectacular TOP TEN JUKEBOX. It was more or less ready past week, but with so much hustle and bustle, we haven't been able to publish it before (add some technical problems to the mix, bye bye Soundcloud), but better late than never. These ten songs, a royal flush with several essential groups for this humble blog such as Jetstream Pony, The Persian Leaps, Basia Bulat or Eyelids, deserve to be listened carefully. And don't worry, we already know that we are in December and it's time for the best of the year lists... Have a nice Sunday and don't forget to stop by at our Spotify!

 Direct links to 2019 Jukebox playlists

Week 214  Week 215 Week 216  Week 217 Week 218 Week 219 Week 220 Week 221 

Week 222 Week 223  Week 224  Week 225 Week 226  Week 227 Week 228 Week 229

Week 230 Week 231  Week 232  Week 233  Week 234 Week 235 Week 236 Week 237
Week 238 Week 239  Week 240  Week 241  Week 242 Week 243 Week 244 Week 245
Week 246 Week 247  Week 248

These Go to 11: interviewing The Persian Leaps

After recovering the section last week, here's another chapter on our interview series. This week we have to pleasure to count with Drew Forsberg from our dear The Persian Leaps and the excellent Land Ski Records label answering our questionnaire. A little bit of old-school-noise-pop in our blog today. These Go to 11! 

Ready for the jump

Drew Forsberg, The Persian Leaps 

Hailing from Saint Paul, Minnesota, this trio was formed in 2012, when Drew Forsberg decided to transform his originally solo project into a full band. A year after, they released via his own label Land Ski Records debut EP 'Praise Elephants', followed by 'Drive Drive Delay' in September 2014. Now the circle of EPs has been completed with 'High & Vibrate', out just now. Direct, shiny, infectious songs, somewhere in between noise pop and power-pop, recalling the brightest side of Sugar and our beloved Teenage Fanclub, ready for making your day immediately. Alive and kicking tunes! Here we go!

Second hand news: this record was huge

1. First record that you bought (be honest)
I believe I got several albums at once because I joined the Columbia House record club (8 records for a penny!). But I’m pretty sure that Fleetwood Mac – 'Rumours' and an ABBA greatest hits album were in there.

2. First and last concert you have attended (be honest too!)

My first concert ever was Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie at the Minnesota State Fair in 1985. My first real rock and roll concert, though, was Echo & the Bunnymen and New Order in 1987. These days, I mostly go to shows by local bands. The awesome shoegaze band, Ringo Deathstarr, was the last larger show I went to.

The fast, furious & hairy 80s, MTV style

3. Guilty pleasure (song/band you shouldn’t like but you do, yes, it’s the embarrassing question)
I have a weakness for Def Leppard, especially 'Photograph'.

4. Most precious music item you own (collector mode on)

I’m not into vinyl, and although I have stacks of CDs, I just listen to music on my phone these days. My oldest, most precious music-related item is a songbook for The Smiths – 'Meat is Murder' that I bought around 1986. I basically taught myself to play guitar using the chords in that book.

The father of lo-fi, hearing the voices...

5. Favorite lyrics (not yours)
Just about anything by the Smiths or Guided By Voices. Morrissey and Robert Pollard are amazing lyricists, although very different. If I had to pick just one example, I’d choose 'The Headmaster Ritual' by the Smiths just because it so perfectly captures a bleak, miserable school experience.

6. Musician/s you would like to meet (should be alive, for obvious reasons, but you can choose a dead one too)
Robert Pollard from Guided by Voices.

7. Favorite artwork album (not yours)
My Bloody Valentine’s 'Loveless'.

8. Books or movies? Depending on your answer recommend us one (trick: you can choose both) 
My favorite movie is 'The Godfather'. My favorite book is 'The Crying of Lot 49' by Thomas Pynchon.

Elephants going noise-pop

9. Song (of yours) you are most proud of
They’re all my children. That said, I’m still very proud of the song 'Sleeples' from Praise Elephants. It’s about my father and so far, is the only time I’ve written a song with direct, personal content.

10. What does it mean indie for you? (yes, the “serious question”)
I’m biased and have a certain sound in mind when I hear that term (guitar-driven indie rock from the 80s and early 90s). But in general, it makes me think of musicians who are passionate enough about music to keep making it, even when they have little chance of commercial, popular success.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 
Still making music, with any luck, releasing the five best Persian Leaps songs we have ready every fall.

                                                                                     Zillion thanks Drew, thanks The Persian Leaps!

Discoverer 115: new indie findings

Three quite different, but equally amazing proposals for you to enjoy in our discoveries' this weekend!

Mikal Cronin. Let's start in Laguna Beach, California, with this incredibly skilled singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Cronin has been around for quite a while, being part of bands like Epsilons, Charlie and the Moonhearts, Party Fowl, Okie Dokie and, most known, playing bass and backing vocals with Ty Segall. In 2010 he began his solo career with 7" 'Gone', followed by 7" 'Tide' and his debut album 'Mikal Cronin' out in Trouble in Mund in 2011. The buzz started rolling so he got signed by Merge Records, releasing sophomore LP, 'MCII' in 2013, to unanimous acclaim. Now he's back with 'MCIII', out this month, completing the picture. The energy and loose joy of garage-rock packed with lush, brianwilsonesque arrangements and an unmatched talent for melodies. The time to tell (very personal) stories melted with the urgency of shimmering guitar lines and surprising bits of instrumentation. Found (just in time for Primavera Sound) a genius!

Funeral Advantage. Let's move to Boston, MA, to meet Tyler Kershaw. In 2013 he began his lo-fi bedroom pop project releasing a demo tape and split 7" with Caténine on Disposable America. But since then it has evolved into a full band with an impressive cv of gigs alongside Alvvays, Whirr or Craft Spells. This 2015 they have released the double a-side 'Not In My House / That's That' with The Native Sound and, in April, another split 7" with Former Ghosts, with debut album scheduled later in the year. Moody, reverb-drenched dreampop crafted with jangly guitars. Looking forward to Kershaw's band new tunes. Most promising.
.
Murder Shoes. Glad to go back to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and introduce you another exciting band from Land Ski Records' roster. Here's an indie rock quintet, initially the music vehicle of Derek Van Gieson and Chris White under the name of A Marriage at Nevers. But they quickly found Tess Weinberg, Elliot Manthey and Tim Heinlein to complete the line-up. Murder Shoes was born and two EPs, 'Cash on Fire', in late 2014, and self-titled 'Murder Shoes', out now, demonstrate how powerful the combo can be. Guitar-driven indie rock with a shocking ability to morph into surf, immediate pop or a more atmospheric, dark post-punk, at their will, always with the irresistible voice (killer, killer, killer) of Tess Weinberg, reminiscent of Widowspeak's Molly Hamilton, leading the mix. Seductive and fun. What else can you ask for? Just one thing: more! 

Discoverer 110: new indie findings

Trio of aces in this new chapter of discoveries for your ears only! Enjoy!

Day Ravies. Back down under with this quartet based in Sydney, Australia. Formed in 2011, their self-released debut EP arrived in 2012, creating the buzz for 'Tussle', first album via Popfrenzy in 2013, gaining a most deserved praise. With an online single anticipating their sophomore album, due this year, and the recent release of the 7" 'Hickford Whizz / Taking Time' on Beko Disques, 2015 looks like very exciting times for a combo that are four bands gathered in one. Shoegaze, dream pop, jangle pop, indie-rock... all labels fit but are not enough to explain the range & powers of a group with a ridiculous talent to inject melody & light into the haze, or vigour & edge to pop sweetest pills. On a league of their own. 

Trust Fund. Formed in 2012 this Bristol, UK, first came into the spotlight in September of 2013 with EP 'Don't Let Them Begin' out through Reeks of Effort, paving the way to the split 7" with Joanna Gruesome a year later via Happy Birthday To Me Records. Now the circle is closed with 'No One's Coming for Us' debut album just out now on Turnstile. Lo-fi, DIY aesthetics and ethics for a band that makes... introverted joyous indie-pop? Does it makes sense? Small, intimate pieces that blossom, at times seemingly just by a matter of chance, into edgier but tuneful, in-your-face melodies. Very special and highly contagious.


The Persian Leaps. We end our music trip in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to meet this trio assembled in 2012, after singer/guitarist Drew Forsberg decided to transform his originally solo project into a full band. In 2013 they release debut EP 'Praise Elephants', which was followed by another EP, 'Drive Drive Delay', out past September, both via Land Ski Records. So, why impatiently wait for their third EP, I enthusiastically suggest you to go listen their stunning songs, old-school noise-pop, where Sugar meets my dear Teenage Fanclub, full of infectious hooks, chiming guitar lines, shimmering vocal harmonies and pumped out melodies. Alive and kicking tunes.