New Sounds

So your humble writer sits with his feet up, suffering the after-effects of having metal supporting objects removed from his right ankle. Little else to do but write and listen to music. Here are six musical recomendations, stuff I'm digging right now, with love from me to you...

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club remain one of the finest and unsung rock bands around, a gloriously scuzzy two-piece from San Fransisco who released their debut in 2001 and haven’t made the same record since. Their 2008 album The Effects Of 333 was pretty experimental and didn’t always hit home, but new release Beat The Devil’s Tattoo is awesome, mixing fuzz bass, driving beats and a gospel feel on some tracks to great effect, and the finished product is filled with guitar swagger and psychedelia. You want to wear dirty leather listening to this.



Four albums down and Metric continue to make some fantastic music. This Canadian group have recently recorded a track for Edgar Wright’s new film Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, and deserve the opportunity to get massive. Latest album Fantasies is filled with great indie-pop that reminds me of The Breeders and Stereolab. Their last single Help, Im Alive has a chorus that always, no matter where I am, gets me jumping around when I hear it.



Four Tet are pretty much unknown, and in reality is just one man, Kieran Hebden, who pays the bills by remixing the likes of Radiohead. All instrumental, and new album There Is Love In You is atmospheric electronica that I’ve found myself listening to a lot when I’ve been working on fiction. It’s mood music of the best kind, sucking you into the brilliant melodies with ease. Last track on the album is She Just Likes To Fight, which sounds like Air meeting Brian Eno. No bad thing.



I got into the Drive-By Truckers by accident a couple of years ago, surfing Amazon and listening to sound clips, and quickly bought everything they had ever done. Their combination of southern-rock guitar, early 70’s Stones vibes and lyrics straight out of a Joe Lansdale novel touch all the right buttons for me. New album The Big-To Do is, frankly, tremendous. I love this band.



The Morning After Girls are probably the best Indie coming out of Australia right now. Great lyrics, brilliant hooks, these guys are making anthems like we haven’t heard since the first Oasis album.



Jack White can have as many side projects as he likes (the okay Raconteurs and the genius Dead Weathers) but The White Stripes have just released their first live disc Under Great White Northern Lights to remind us just how fucking brilliant they are. A recording can’t capture the energy and thrill of seeing Jack and Meg, but this makes a pretty good go of it. And who else But Jack White could see Dolly Parton’s Jolene completely straight and turn it into a punk scream for lost love?