The Bloodbuzzed Jukebox Week 185

A grey (not that rainy, though) weekend doesn't necessarily mean staying at home with the blanket and sofa! To overcome that tempting drowsiness that for sure is invading you, we have our latest TOP TEN Jukebox for your ears only :) This time, full of new discoveries, including one we will try to see live at Primavera Sound Festival, Alex Lahey, plus a couple of beloved bands of the Blog returning to form in Wax Idols and Soft Science. As always, a lot to choose from & shake the laziness off! Have fun and remember, all tunes are available at our Soundcloud. (Join Us!)

Direct links to 2018 Jukebox playlists

Week 171  Week 172  Week 173  Week 174  Week 175 Week 176  Week 177  Week 178 
Week 179  Week 180  Week 181  Week 182  Week 183 Week 184

Discoverer 158: new indie findings

Back with our discoverer series with a trio of indiepop finds ready to bring you the latest slices of summer sun as well as being your cousy companion for the Fall season we hope is arriving soon (if Global Warming allows). Check them out!

Mini Dresses. Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, although the origins of the band have to be traced in the summer of 2012, at the home recording project of Lira Mondal and Caufield Sching in Austin, Texas. But after moving East and recruiting Luke Reed on drums, the band got their current shape, beginning a pretty steady flow of singles and EP, as well as opening slots for popular acts like Deerhunter, Weyes Blood, and Blog favourites like Fear of Men, Chastity Belt, Dick Diver or Tacocat. First full length, a compilation of tunes from the aforementioned earlier works, appeared this summer, with the self-titled album following this September, out via Joy Void Records. Dreampop meeting bedroom pop, or indiepop enveloped in haze and reflective moods, with occasional excursions to jangle pop or experimental boundaries, here's your soundtrack for the Fall.

Baby! Let me introduce you to the world of Kaley Honeycutt, a really young (she's below 25, my goodness!) Orlando musician now based in Boston, which started to make some noise around the Blogosphere last year while sharing some of their tunes, but who has taken by assault this 2017 with her first two releases: the debut EP, 'Pick Me' , out in April, followed in August by the summery first full-length 'Sunny, F.L.', out via Yellow K Records. Über catchy, between jangle and surf pop bittersweet tunes, packed with these sun kissed vibes and immediate hook melodies, but also some biting, rockier punch soaked in reverb. Not to be missed!

Sea Blite. One of the mightiest things about music is getting lost among "connections". You know, when discovering a band brings you to another, and then another and etc, etc. That's the case with this combo from San Francisco, formed in early 2016 (according to their Facebook, little info out there), found thanks to the SF Pop Fest and our previous discovery of the great Rat Fancy. With a line-up that includes former members of Wax Idols, Primary Colours or Dirty Cupcakes, their first release, out this June in the form of a self-titled EP you can physically grab on tape from Death Records, is fated to be listed among this humble Blog's best-of-year ranks. Four jangle pop gems echoing vintage pop sounds and the spirit of the likes of Tiger Trap, Go Sailor or my beloved Arts & Leisure (see? more connections). Instant crush! 

RiotGrrrl Day Playlist!

Today is the RiotGrrrl Day! Why the 9th of April? Because last year, the Major of Boston, Mark Walsh, honored and recognized the great Kathleen Hanna's works towards music and feminism, with the idea to promote riot grrrl culture in his own city. A much welcomed celebration we obviously couldn't miss. So, in order to celebrate, we have created a playlist with female bands from the last four decades. The idea is try to bring you a diverse and significant, in terms of riotgrrrl/feminist movement (knowing it's impossible to include all of them of course, share your favourites with us!). A fantastic excuse to enjoy and celebrate much loved music played, sung and written by women! Girls to the front!

Best Songs of the Year 2013: 50-26

Chapter III of our favourite 100 tunes of the year. The next 25 songs, now comprised between positions 50 to 26. Again, you have the complete (21 tunes) playlist at our newly created Soundcloud page, and if the song isn't available there, you'll have an alternative direct link. As we explained on the previous list, only three songs per band, so we've been able to include more groups (bands "affected" by this limitation are The National, Savages and Go Violets). Fourth and last part coming very soon, with the best 25 songs of 2013. Stay tuned!

50. Send Them Away- Beaches
49. Ken- Ex Cops
48. Pretty Colors- Chalk and Numbers
47. When It Happens- Wax Idols

46. Rue Savage- Dub Noir
45. Are You With Me Now?- Cate Le Bon
44. Next Stop- Bleached
43. New Life- Jim James
42. San Francisco- Foxygen
41. Waiting for Something to Happen- Veronica Falls
40. Sleeptalking- Hella Better Dancer
39. Youth- Daughter
38. Miracle Mile- Cold War Kids
37. Jean’s Waving- Amor de Días
36. Wolf Pack- Arts & Leisure
35. Little Games- The Adelines
34. New Year’s Resolution- Camera Obscura
33. After You- Pulp

32. Amarillo- Wiggum
31. Timothy- Tennis (link to video)
30. Morning Sun- Big Summer
29. It Can’t Be You- Basia Bulat
28. I Am the Past- Eleanor Friedberger (link to video)
27. She Will- Savages (link to video)
26. Graceless- The National

Click here to check the SoundCloud playlist!

Best Songs of the Year 2013 so far

And following past week's records/Eps of the year so far, here's the second list, now with our favourite tunes of the six months of 2013 to date. Like we did on previous years,  we have prepared a playlist with the best 30 songs on a selection based on two criteria: songs released during 2013, and just 1 song per group/artist, so I could include different proposals. They are not in order of preference, just trying to combine them in a good playlist. Hope you enjoy!

Next Stop- Bleached 
Lose The Reason- The Primitives
Heavy Feet- Local Natives
This Is the Last Time- The National
Julie (Come Out of the Rain)- Josh Rouse
If You Still Want Me- Veronica Falls 
When It Happens- Wax Idols
Separator- Ex Cops
San Francisco- Foxygen
A New Life- Jim James
Can You Keep A Secret?- The Birthday Kiss
Little Games- The Adelines 
Dyed in the Wool- Widowspeak
El Caminar- Wiggum
A Ton of Love- Editors 
Water Damage- Dick Diver
When You Start- Khushi
2am- Northern Spies 
Jean's Waving- Amor de Días 
Relevé- Pauline en la Playa
Send Them Away- Beaches
She Will- Savages
Honey- Torres
Through the Deep, Dark Wood- The Veils
Nothing Arrived- Villagers
Let Them All In- I Am Kloot
London Bound- Just Handshakes (We’re British)
Nothin But Nice- Free Time
After Your- Pulp 
Morning Sun- Big Summer

Discoverer 58: new indie findings

Next chapter of our Sunday's proposals. Three new bands for your listening pleasure!

Wax Idols. We start with an all-female four-piece from Oakland, California. They began in 2011 as the solo project of Heather Fedewa, aka Hether Fortune. Her collection of somber, Gothic punk tunes, saw the light of day in the form of the "All Too Human" 7" and the LP "No Future", both out that same year. By then, Fortune had assembled a full band to join her live, becoming a proper group on the recording process of their sophomore release, "Discipline and Desire" out now in Slumberland Records. Menacing, fierce and resonating, Wax Idols sound like Savages storming The Chameleons bleakest numbers (Mark Burgess contributes on the record). Haunting band, to watch for sure.

Just Handshakes (We're British). Been awaiting for months to introduce you this Leeds band. Formed in 2008, the quartet released three singles on 2008-2009 prior to their first 7" on Tiptoe Records. Elefant Records released their second 7" "Falling Over Our Fear" in 2011. And on February came the mind-blowing single "London Bound" anticipating their forthcoming album "Say It", out this May. It has been immediate love, thanks to Clara's sweet echoing voice, the indiepop enduring melodies, embellishing synths and guitar hooks. Like my beloved Fear of Men, my crush is here to stay, I admit. Happily.
Goodly Thousands. From the small Irish town of Dundrum comes this band that started its career in 2010. Aside from the gigs around Dublin, the trio has released a single, "Kiss Me Upside-Down" on the Popical Island #2 compilation, and more recently, a 4 track EP on Long Lost Records. Finally, in February 2013, Shelflife (always Shelflife) published their debut double A-side 7" "Honest" b/w "I Wish".  Overall, a small collection of tunes drawing us back to 80's jangle-pop, with echoes of The June Brides and The Hit Parade. Genuine indiepop driven by shimmering guitars and Colm vocals. More this good soon, please!