Discoverer 64: new indie findings

An announcement will arrive later today, but for now, here you have our band proposals!

Little Green Cars. A very young quintet from Dublin, formed in 2008, from the ashes of combo The Revolts. A sextet initially, they debuted that year with "Volume I" EP, followed by "Volume II" in 2009, while achieving some buzz thanks to their UK and US tours. In September 2012 "The John Wayne" single came out, with "Harper Lee" EP coming next in January 2013, anticipating their first album, "Absolute Zero", out since May. Fear not my friends, this are not another boring imitators of Mumford & Sons depressing success. Think more on Robin Pecknold high on vitamins, or Neil Young trying to go pop without losing his edge. Folk-rock with muscle, melody, impressive vocals and promise.

English Singles. Second stop in Sacramento, CA, with a combo that is some sort of a local DIY pop/punk supergroup, leaded by Scott Miller. Although Miller declares they have been a band since late 2006, English Singles got some attention last year thanks to their first 7" singles on infallible Slumberland Records, "Disaster" and "Backstreet Pages". This 2013 they are back with "Ordinary Girls" EP, out now on Slumberland. Scratchy punk-pop? Home-made power-pop? You decide how to label their music, what is clear is that this are infectious, energetic and ridiculously catchy tunes. Fun guaranteed!

The Tuts. And more punk-pop to end our weekly proposals, this time with a female trio -Nadia, Beverly and Amy, from Hayes, West London. Co-founded by Nadia and Beverly on high school, they were joined in 2011 by Harriet Doveton (now replaced by Amy) of Colour Me Wednesday, releasing their S/T debut EP a year later, a collection of their earlier tracks. The single "Tut Tut Tut" came out this 2013, a release which has given them the chance of supporting Kate Nash on her UK tour, and play this year's Indietracks. Urgent, chaotic and vital pop tunes infused on punk attitude. Want more!

Discoverer 25: new indie findings

Cinema Red and Blue. Always have the same feeling with Comet Gain. No matter tone or lyrics, its always played with a joyful, passionate rawness, so it's almost mathematic: I fall for their music once and again. So when I discovered Dave Feick and co. embarked themselves in a new adventure, a collaboration with members of Crystal Stilts with guest appearances of Gary Olson from The Ladybug Transistor, I knew I would love it too. The eponymous record, released in November of 2010 is followed by "Butterbean Crypt EP", out next week. As great as Comet Gain. Enough said. 
Cinema Red and Blue - Same Mistakes
Cinema Red And Blue - Walkin' To The Cemetery

To Kill a King. A Shakespearean name for this five-piece Brit band leaded by intriguing songwriter Ralph Pellymounter, who after several attempts (started his musical career in 2004 solo), in early 2010 finally ensembled the current band's line-up, releasing heir first single "Fictional State", which is now followed by "My Crooked Saint" EP. A powerful and diverse blend between pop-rock and folk, that sometimes evoke a more restrained Arcade Fire, and others the straightness and euphoric side of Mumford And Sons' tunes. Keep and eye on them.
To Kill A King - "Bloody Shirt"
To Kill a King - "Wrecking Crew" (Acoustic Version)
To Kill a King - "Cold Skin"

2:54. Behind this curious name (their favourite moment in a Melvins song), you'll find sisters Hannah and Colette Thurlow. Hailing from London, they emerged past May with their song "Creeping". A couple of tunes followed soon, and after signing with Fiction Records, they now offer their first release, "Scarlet" EP. Many names come to mind when listening, from Garbage (that sensual voice recalls Shirley Manson's) to Warpaint or Mazzy Star. A cinematic and atmospheric affair, where guitars stride relentlessly and cymbals seems to splash, like waves, against imaginary rocks.
2:54 - Scarlet
Cold Front 7"

My FIB Festival 2011: we have timetables!

Two days before leaving for Benicassim Festival and despite the shameful decission of the FIB organization of not the giving the timetables for free, the information has leaked (everybody knew it would happen), so here's how it looks (bold indicates the preferred option), in principle, My FIB Festival. Harder than expected, the amount of overlaps is dramatic and confirms Thursday as a pretty ridiculous day. 

18:00-18:45 The Spires

19:00-19:45 Layabouts

19:45-20:45 Anna Calvi / 20:15-21:15 Russian Red  

From 21:15 I don't mind going home. What a horrible (and overlapped) day!


18:00-18:45 Jane Joyd 

19:00-19:45 O Emperor

19:45-20:45 Ainara Legardon / 20:30-21:15 The Marzipan Man

21:15-21:45 The Paris Riots

21:45-22:45 The Undertones

23:15-00:15 Elbow

00:45-02:15 The Strokes / 1:30-3:30 James Murphy
The only day when schedule fits and has some logic...

18:00-18:45 Jerry Fish and the Mudbug Club / 18:30-19:00 Los Ginkas
19:30-20:15 Nadadora / 20:00-21:00 Tame Impala
21:30-22:30 Lori Meyers / 22:00-22:30 The Dandies
23:00-00:00 Mumford & Sons
00:30-02:00 Arctic Monkeys
02:30-04:00 Primal Scream
Already a seriously overlapped day, to decide between Beirut or the Monkeys is something to blame the organization for.


18:30-19:00 Indienella
19:00-19:45 The Coronas
19:45-20:30 And So I Watch You From Above
20:45-21:30 The Joy Formidable / 21:15-22:00 Veronica Falls
23:00-00:30 Portishead
01:15-02:45 Arcade Fire / 1:45-3:45 Chris Geddes
And the final, triple overlap, that will probably make me miss Noah and the Whale (sic).

Well, in any case, see you at the FIB Festival, come on over!
Come On Over by Veronica Falls

My (first) FIB (Benicassim Festival) so far

Since my last post about the Festival, more than a month ago, FIB has announced a few new acts, the latest bunch of them, today. I'm not going to insist/pledge for the lack of names from my wishlist, because I'm not really counting I'll get one of them* (sadly).

Anyway, adding today's acts to the previous bunch of names announced in the last couple of months, this is how "my" FIB looks now. Hoping for more though, especially on Thursday, still a day in need of a vast improvement!

+ The Streets + Paolo Nutini + Pendulum +Plan B + Chase & Status + Congotronics Vs Rockers + Crystal Fighters + Dorian + Julieta Venegas + Aldo Linares + Anna Calvi + Grupo Salvaje + Henry Saiz + Jack Beats +Layabouts + Violens +

The Strokes + Brandon Flowers + Elbow +James Murphy + Friendly Fires + The Stranglers + Atom Rhumba + Herman Dune +The Juan MacLean + nudozurdo + The 1945 +Ainara LeGardon + The Marzipan Man + The Morning Benders + O Emperor + The Paris Riots + Zombie Zombie +


Arctic Monkeys + Mumford & Sons + Primal Scream + Beirut + Big Audio Dynamite +Bombay Bicycle Club + Amable + Astrud & Col·lectiu Brossa + Lori Meyers + Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club + Logo + McEnroe +Nadadora + Smile + Spectrals + Tame Impala +


+ Arcade Fire + Portishead + Tinie Tempah +Noah & The Whale + Professor Green +Antònia Font + CatPeople + The Go! Team +The Joy Formidable + And So I Watch You From Afar + Anika + The Coronas from Ireland + Indienella + Hidrogenesse +Veronica Falls

Green- Definetely seeing them. Absolute must
Orange- If there are no overlaps (in particular with the green ones), I'll be there for sure
Yellow- Curious about it/"on research mode"

*Happy note: I'm going to see The Pains of Being Pure at Heart anyway this June in Barcelona, so I can cross off that name from the list