New music videos from Arctic Monkeys, Garbage, Miles Kane, Lambchop and The Shins!

New music videos today, for your viewing and listening pleasure! An in crescendo proposal, in 5 steps until reaching the perfect match of music and images, always in my modest opinion, while we check some of the newest music arrivals.

Step 1. Uninspired song and video
Arctic Monkeys: "R U Mine?"
You all know I like the Monkeys, and that "Suck It and See" was among my favourite records of 2011, but this new tune is quite mediocre, and the clip is, simply, silly. Scared to hear Alex Turner's plans to do next album immediately with this song as the pattern. Please no.


Step 2. So-so song with a nice video
Garbage: "Blood for Poppies"
Ok, Garbage wouldn't really fit in this blog anymore, but I admit I was curious to hear them back after such a long hiatus (remembrance of my teenage years). "Blood for Poppies" is not going to change any music standard or give Shirley Manson and Co. a second chance for assaulting "music stardom", but at least the video is quite suggestive with the homages to classic cinema, Luis Buñuel's references included.

Step 3. Uninspired video for a nice song
Miles Kane: "First of My Kind"
The leading song of the forthcoming EP from Miles Kane, to be released on the Record Store Day is another addictive track on the vein of "Colour of the Trap". The video, with Miles Walking through Paris and London is quite insipid, but this guy knows how to create a cracking chorus and an engaging, straightforward melody.


Step 4. Good video for an amazing song
Lambchop: "2B2"
"Mr. M", the latest Lambchop's effort is fated to be included among the best records of the year (review coming soon on the blog), and "2B2" is one of the most compelling gems you will find on it. The clip for the tune might not be very original, as it is conformed by several moments of their recent (sniff sniff, missed) European tour, but it works as the elegant and warm piece such a beautiful song deserves. Thanks, again, Kurt Wagner.    


Step 5. Amazing video and song
The Shins: The Rifle's Spiral
And finally, one of my favourite tunes from The Shins "Port of Morrow", with a visually stunning clip that immerses us, thanks to the imagination of Emmy-winning director Jamie Caliri. Surreal stop-motion animation that is also an obvious homage to Edward Gorey’s illustrations. Superb.

"Port of Morrow", The Shins' maturity record?

Port of Morrow

Five years have passed since The Shins' last record, the recommendable "Wincing The Night Away". And despite I loved "Broken Bells", his adventure with Danger Mouse, it was quite obvious we needed another dose of James Mercer, now the remaining member of the original band. Considering this fact, there were concerns about how this "new" The Shins were going to look like (better said, sound).

The mix between uncertainness and great anticipation quickly turned into extremely high expectations after hearing "Simple Song", the first single, premiered in advance of the album. Among the best things Mercer has created, in my opinion, the song is an instant classic, and the best appetizer for the record. But now that we have "Port of Morrow" in our hands, the tune is also a curse for the rest of the album, being its arguably greatest moment.

The "problem" is not at the start of "Port of Morrow", which is terrific. Opener "The Rifle's Spiral is brilliant, full of wonder and a lusher production (many little things going on). Then comes the aforementioned "Simple Song", followed by the first ballad, "It's Only Life", the first divisive song of the album. I admit I adore it, to me is one of the finest moments of "Port of Morrow", but I can understand some criticism that points this is a "docile" tune, not very far from AOR music or mainstream pop. Awesomely done (I like the reference I have read about Crowded House, a band, sniff, sniff,  that introduced me into pop when I was a teenager) for certain, but a bit cheesy.

That "issue", the slight feeling of dissatisfaction with the record worsens with the next trio. "Bait And Switch" and "No Way Down" are the usual beat, fast paced, psychedelic tunes from The Shins without a real punch, while "September" offers the acoustic, pensive side of the band. Don't get me wrong, they are more than ok songs, but for me they are a bit on autopilot mode, considering they are coming from the mind of James Mercer.

"For a Fool", seventh song, is the most worrying of the lot. Its' sad to write this, but this is an AOR ballad destined to become famous by some "emotional moment" on a TV Show, and if we weren't talking about The Shins I bet many "specialised" critics would have "destroyed" its composer. Compared to that, the lighter, happier "Fall Of ´82" sounds almost glorious (I definitely love the chorus and the trumpet solo). And "40 Mark Strasse", that turns from an unpromising number into a compelling tune with a soulful nuance and a powerful chorus (the falsetto part amazes me). Closer "Port of Morrow" is a ghostly, more experimental one, sounding like a Broken Bells tune, which ends the album on a very high and promising note.

"Port of Morrow" is not a bad album. It contains two masterpieces, "Simple Song", "Rifle's Spiral" and three excellent ones, "It's Only Life", "40 Mark Strasse" and "Port Of Morrow". But the rest of the album is a bit flat, ranging from the ok but unsurprising/unremarkable to the disappointing. Maybe this is the "maturity" record from James Mercer (frightened mode on) or maybe this is the first step, after a long hiatus, from a new band, a new The Shins, that still have a genial composer leading them, as half of the record proves. Welcome back James, next time don't take that long to return!

SCORE: 6,5/10 

The Shins, Veronica Falls, Nat Johnson= great songs!

Three favourite bands of mine have showed new songs today. What a wonderful afternoon!

We were lucky to hear it first at the Primavera Club past November, but today London's Veronica Falls have "officially" showed the world a new tune: "My Heart Beats". Melody and rhythm, essential trademarks of the band, for another indie-pop perfection clocking in less than three minutes!


I told you before, we absolutely love Nat Johnson's music, and we are counting down the days to grab "I'm Across, I'm Asshore" their awaited new record. Here's another taste of the album, with a youtube video of "Your Majesty". Wonderful song. We salute you Queen Nat!


And finally, another music genius, James Mercer, coming back as The Shins with a highly anticipated new album, "Port of Morrow". After haunting us with the great new single "Simple Song", now he offers the video of its b-side, "September".

The Shins: “September” (b-side of “Simple Song” 7”

Coachella 2012 announced: pure envy

I was preparing a movie post, but I'm too shocked/depressed by the lineup of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2012 revealed today, to finish it. What at an amazing catalogue of bands! Sure, there are a few ridiculous, unacceptable (I'm being polite) facts, like The Black Keys (awesome band) headlining instead of Pulp or Arctic Monkeys, or the inclusion of names as awful as David Guetta, Dr.Dre & Snoop Dog (worse, they headline too) but man I count at least 16 names that I would love to see, and the same amount of bands that interest me. It's funny (ironic mode on) to see that some names showed in a very small typography are almost headliners in some Spanish festivals. Now seriously, please tell me something bad about that Festival, because right now I envy everyone who will attend!!

Friday April 13 & 20 April
The Black Keys, Swedish House Mafia, Pulp, Refused, Arctic Monkeys, Mazzy Star, Afrojack, Explosions in the Sky, M83, Amon Tobin, Cat Power, Madness, Jimmy Cliff & Tim Armstrong, GIRLS, The Rapture, Madeon, M. Ward, The Horrors, Frank Ocean, James Alesso, Sebastien, Yuck, Neon Indian, Dawes, Black Angels, Deathgrips, Wu Lyf, Breakbot, Atari Teenage Riot, Feed Me, Givers, Other Lives, Band of Skulls, R3hab, Wolfgang, Midnight Beast, EMA, Ximena Sarinana, Kendrick Lamar, The Dear Hunter, Honeyhoney, Hello Seahorse!, Sheepdogs, LA Riots

Saturday April 14 & 21
Radiohead, Bon Iver, The Shins, David Guetta, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Kaskade, Miike Snow, Jeff Mangum, Sebastian Ingrosso, Andrew Bird, Feist, Firehose, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, St. Vincent, Martin Solveig, Subfocus, Sbtrkt, Flying Lotus, Manchester Orchestra, Kasabian, AWOL Nation, Azealia Banks, Squeeze, A$AP Rocky, Buzzcocks, Kaiser Chiefs, Destroyer, The Head and the Heart, Laura Marling, Tuneyards, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Black Lips, The Big Pink, Childish Gambino, The Vaccines, Zed’s Dead, Grouplove, Jacques Lu Cont, We Were Promised, Jetpacks, Gary Clark Jr., Borgore, Dragonette, We Are Augustines, Mt. Eden, Destructo, Suedehead, Keep Shelley in Athens, Pure Filth Sound

Sunday April 15 & 22
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, At the Drive-In, Justice, Florence and the Machine, AVICII, La Roux, Beirut, The Weeknd, Girl Talk, The Hives, DJ Shadow, Calvin Harris, Nero, Wild Flag, Modeselektor, Dada Life, Porter Robinson, Santigold, Flux Pavilion, Dr. P, Gotye, Seun Keti, Egypt 80, Beats Antique, Fitz and the Tantrums, Araabmuzik, Company Flow, Real Estate, Zed, Le Bucherettes, Greg Ginn, The Growlers, Noisia, Morgan Page, Gaslamp Killer, First Aid Kit, Oberhofer, Lissie, Thundercat, Metronomy, Wild Beasts, Housse de Racket, Fanfarlo, Spector, Gardens & Villa, Airplane Boys, Sleeper Agent

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"

Music to look forward to in 2012

Now that holidays are officially over, it's time to look ahead into 2012. This is a small summary of the music releases/events I'm looking forward to for this year. A brief shortlist of the gifts I ordered for the Three Kings Day. 

1. The year is starting with a very special, highly anticipated album. Of course I'm referring to "I'm Across, I'm Ashore", our beloved Nat Johnson and the Figureheads arrive in few weeks! Don't you think the artwork is lovely! Counting down the days!
2. There's one release I'm really excited after hearing its first available tune,"Serpents" (click on the title to hear/download). Sharon Van Etten will release "Tramp", her third album, in February, with stunning collaborations like the Dessner brothers' from The National or Matt Barrick from The Walkmen. Great expectations with this.
3. "Young and Old" Tennis sophomore album, also for February.
4. The Shins are finally back!. James Mercer has "Port of Morrow" scheduled for March. Yes!! What about coming to Barcelona (Primavera Sound maybe)?
5. Two sure-fire for spring-summer: Beach House and The Walkmen.
6. My second Primavera Sound Festival, of course
7. The long-play debut that confirms the greatness of this young band: Let's buy Happiness.
8. Phoenix, Basia Bulat and Cat Power should be releasing new works this year.
9. Indie-pop heavens: Baffin Island, The Hi-Life Companion, The Hermit Crabs, The School will be back ... and Camera Obscura?
10. And finally, 2012 has to be, finally, the year of Beth Orton's comeback. Please, please, please.

Sure, there are many more out there. Will The National complete a new album before the year ends (the couple of songs premiered a few weeks ago sound great, so there's hope) And U2? And a personal favourite,  The Mynabirds? 2012 is going to be an excellent year for music.

Primavera Sound 2012, or how Mazzy Star saved me from heavy metal

Since my last post about the Primavera Sound Festival 2012, the line-up has changed quite a lot, some major and controversial surprises have been announced, such as a big headliner like Franz Ferdinand, and a pretty dramatic cancellation occurred, as unfortunately Guided By Voices won't be in Barcelona/Oporto this spring.

Sure, I'm among the ones that were hugely disappointed by the addition of several bands that doesn't have anything to do with alternative music but with heavy metal (black and death metal being specific). It is just my opinion, but I can't see where they fit at PS (the same applies to the hip-hop and rap acts I'm fearing will be at PS again this year). To be honest, everything was starting to look pretty bad regarding the Festival, with so many artists miles away from my tastes... until Mazzy Star was announced (and then followed by the also exciting Afghan Whigs). Finally a name to make me smile and be anxious about.

I'm still worried about how the line-up is shaping, and some facts like The Beach Boys 50th Anniversary tour scare the hell out of me. But at the same time, other arstists like The Shins or Cat Power have showed up, so let's have some well deserved faith on the PS' organization and their music wisdom. Fadeeeeee into you/ Strange you never knew.....

CONFIRMED ARTISTS FOR SAN MIGUEL PRIMAVERA SOUND 2012

30th May – 3rd June, Barcelona

A$AP Rocky» A.A. Bondy» AraabMUZIK» Archers Of Loaf » Baxter Dury» Beach House» Björk» Buffy Sainte-Marie» Codeine» Death Cab For Cutie» Death In Vegas» Franz Ferdinand» Godflesh» Grimes» Harvey Milk» Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel)» Josh T. Pearson» Justice» Lisabö» Liturgy» Mayhem» Mazzy Star» Melvins» Mudhoney» Napalm Death» Neon Indian» Numbers showcase: Jackmaster, Oneman, Deadboy, Spencer, Redinho» OFF!» Orthodox» Other Lives» Sandro Perri» SBTRKT» Shellac» Siskiyou»

Sleep» Spiritualized» The Afghan Whigs» The Dirty Three» The Drums» The Olivia Tremor Control» The XX» Veronica Falls» Washed Out» White Denim» Wilco» Wolves In The Throne Room» Yo La Tengo»

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 seeing the artist, or "on research mode"

Primavera Sound Festival 2012: the indie sweepstake

Got the tickets for Primavera Sound Festival 2012 a couple of weeks ago, and rumours about bands that would be the first names for the line-up should start spreading the blogosphere soon. On the PS forum there's a classic tradition that has already begun. The line-up sweepstake: 20 groups, in alphabetical order, wins who gets more bands confirmed for the Festival. These are mine, not really with the will of winning, but with the hope the majority of them (and many more) will really be in Barcelona next year!

Ambience Affair, The
Army Navy
Be Forest
Beirut
Brown Recluse
Dum Dum Girls
Fanfarlo
Feist
I Break Horses
Jeff Mangum
Let's Buy Happiness
Mazzy Star 
Moth & The Mirror, The
Radiohead
Shins, The
Stone Roses, The
Summer Camp
Veronica Falls
Very Most, The (pleaseeeeeee)
Wake the President