SpencerCarmichael-Brown is an English Literature graduate fresh out of university, hoping to make something of himself. He's a mixed bag, currently sharing his time between writing, stand up comedy and radio presenting. However, underlying and supporting all of this is his deep all-consuming love for music that fuels his many ventures. 
Grace Potter’s aggressive soulful voice presents itself immediately in this 21st century rock and roll anthem. Her energy and physicality is matched by the blood-pumping rock guitar and the humungous hook. There’s no denying that the song isn’t particularly deep, and listeners searching for a profound meaning will be looking for a while. However, that’s the entire point of the track, Potter admits herself that when writing ‘Paris’ she deliberately avoided telling a story, or communicating a specific emotion; the song’s message is simple, it says “I want to have sex right now”. Certainly, few would refuse such an invitation as Potter is equally as equipped as a sex symbol as she is an indisputably great singer. While writing the track, she had been listening to The Kinks non-stop and ‘You Really Got Me’ has clearly influenced the massive primal riff that surges throughout. Now on their third album, the band are not easily placed in any genre, but they’ve stopped caring about that now and, as a result, are making some pretty awesome music. With shades of The Band fused with modern-day Janis Joplin, there’s certainly good reason for recent plaudits hailed on the Vermont based five-piece with the tantalisingly raw sound.
This quirky debut album from The Blue Eyed Shark Experiment is an eclectic example of sombre indie pop that varies in quality. With the title track a tepid non-starter and first song on the record, it really doesn’t bode well. However, the album soon recovers with the heart-warming tale of companionship, ‘Goodbye My Little Friend’. This track was inspired by Bes’ (as he’s more familiarly known) battle with cancer, yet despite his ill health being the motivation for the lyrics, the melody of the song is surprisingly upbeat. The piano-led ‘Generation’ has a ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ feel to it, with his endless listing of the features of our generation, whilst his latest single, ‘Tapdance’, somewhat resembles the sound of Belle & Sebastian. Throughout the album Bes maintains his predominantly acoustic vibe, with the odd electronic aid, and generally the profound resonance of his lyrics is not matched vocally, although his rough around the edges voice is the secret to his endearing charm. The surreal ‘Jet Plane’ rounds the album off nicely with a celebration of ‘The Age Of Distortion’ using energetically scintillating synth.
It kicks off with a beat that belongs in one of Rocky’s infamous pumping-iron montages and, upon the arrival of the first lyric, nostalgic memories of 1980′s Prince and Jermaine Stewart are conjured up inside your head. It’s a slick, smooth psychedelic third track from Ali Love following his two self-released singles in 2006 and his vocals on The Chemical Brothers’ ‘Do It Again’. Setting a fine precedent for what will follow with Love’s debut album, ‘Love Harder’, which is out in August, ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ is packed to the rafters with vintage keyboard and a retro vibe. The combination of old-school drums with wicked electro worthy of a Space Invaders soundtrack creates an infectious kind of music that you could make war and love to. Ali Love feverishly merges the old with the new and, with ‘Smoke & Mirrors’, he is hoping to finally make his mark with some long awaited chart success. Sure to rip up dance-floors across the country, ‘Smoke & Mirrors’ is no sleight of hand, trick of the mind optical-illusion, it’s good honest music with a nu-disco slant.
The soulful sound of 21 year old Londoner Edei is present from the very start of her debut single, ‘In My Bed’, but despite this, the track takes its time in getting going. It’s difficult to place the catchy vocal hooks of this female; the song mixes elements of pop, funk, soul and even country music. What’s more difficult is her competition; she is in direct conflict with the likes of Joss Stone, to whom she currently pales in comparison, despite her voice showing real signs of promise. Coincidentally, Edei was discovered by the same team that uncovered Miss Stone and she will be hoping that her career takes a similar path. Edei’s in-your-face vocals are high in the mix, perhaps too high in relation to the somewhat drowned out instruments, and the dance remix B-side is probably a better track in all honesty. The fairy tale motif employed throughout ‘In My Bed’ is unable to conceal the fact that the song just isn’t that good, yet Edei’s voice is certainly one of the fairest of them all. The track doesn’t quite deserve the label of a fairy tale gone bad, but equally, it’s no happily ever after either.
This sharp-edged second single from Brooklyn based Savoir Adore conjures up images of supernatural sentiment and futuristic dreariness whilst preserving the tasty texture of this indie track. Brought together ‘by accident’, Deidre Muro and Paul Hammer create a sound born to be on a film with their newest release, ‘We Talk Like Machines’. The freely-played guitar is a powerful contrast to the tightly produced drum beats which appear electronic, meaning that it’s not just their voices that sound like machines. There is an overwhelming sense of mysticism throughout, supplied in part by Muro’s light quirky voice, and supported by the band’s use of strikingly unconventional lyrics, epitomised perfectly with the rhyming of ‘machines’ with ‘seems’. These outside of the box verses are made to work thanks to the shimmering voices of both Muro and Hammer. The track never takes off onto a second level as the background instruments seem to prophesise but this is for the best as the chilled out vibe that makes this song work is maintained. Released by the same label that helped launch MGMT, ‘We Talk Like Machines’ has all the makings of a huge cult hit.
Guitarist Aaron Cupples and bassist Ben Green are no ordinary partnership. Both Australians, but living in London and Barcelona respectively, the two met thanks to one of The Drones setting them up on what Ben calls ‘sort of like a blind date’. The chemistry was obviously there, and now comes their self-released scratchy anthem, entitled ‘Run Overdrive’. The track is a raging instrumental complete with a distorted bass line, and what it lacks in structure and melody, it makes up for in rich multi-textural layers. ‘Run Overdrive’ makes electronic sounds appear natural whilst sending the listener into a post-punk guitar-induced coma. There’s no denying the highly visceral unrelenting nature of the track, yet it struggles to ever genuinely excite, leaving one’s pulse rate at a relaxed walking pace. Additionally, the angrily named B-side wastes its well-produced, hard hitting drum beats that half reminds us of a Radiohead track, and stumbles in moving past the friendly guitar sound. Civil Civic have defeated a great deal of obstacles, mostly geographical ones, to get to where they are, and it would be a shame to see it amount to nothing. However, something’s missing along the way.
Harper Simon’s ‘Wishes And Stars’ is a song of beauty. A host of music making machines including guitars, violins, banjos and tuned percussion, work together to produce a relaxing folk sound supported by peaceful vocals. Released in support of his critically acclaimed debut album, this is a wonderfully crafted track crammed with gorgeous melodic drones. The song is a joy to listen to despite possessing an overwhelmingly dark message as Simon sings, ‘there are more wishes than stars’. This hints at the singer songwriter’s ability to turn darkness into light and suggests that his calm and soothing voice could deliver the saddest of news and still leave a smile on the recipient’s face. Simon’s collaborators include the highly praised Nigerian author Ben Okri, famed producer Bob Johnston, and even his father, the legendary Paul Simon, and their presence is evident in the eclectic mix that results. The track includes the lyrics, ‘I have no father’, yet Harper could not sound anymore like his old man if he tried. In fact, this song could well have been one of Paul’s which highlights the eternal and timeless nature of the Simon family sound. In this case, Harper is definitely his father’s son.
The official debut release of North London quartet, Boy Mandeville, has arrived in the form of the lively and energetic ‘Christina’. The track is a simple but effective manifestation of feel good indie pop that is well produced and over-flowing with busy guitar riffs. With a sound not dissimilar from that of The Cribs, The Holloways and Vampire Weekend, Boy Mandeville seem to possess all the desired ingredients for a successful career whilst this quirky and alternative pop tune shines a bright light on the often darker side of the British indie scene. ‘Christina’ tastes like a refreshing glass of summer juice and its happy-go-lucky approach is well suited to the whimsically minded. The song demonstrates Boy Mandeville’s relaxed DIY approach to creating music, epitomised with the self-released free three-track demo that the band released last year. The larger than life lyrics of the B-Side ‘Raisin Snake’ regale the listener with a nostalgic walk through childhood memories leading to a predictable yet convincing vocal crescendo. There’s not much to separate the two tracks, both are seasonal and aptly suit their shared summer release date, as well as both being fun, carefree, and hopefully a sign of things to come.
Alternative-folk band Hhymn’s debut single ‘Land Of Souls’ is refreshing to say the least. Released by their own label, Food Chain, the Nottingham-based group have secured an international distribution deal with Universal which is sure to offer the track the exposure it deserves. The band’s origins lie in the friendship of vocalist Ed Bannard and guitarist Simon Ritchie, which saw the duo write their own songs because no one was making the music they wanted to hear. Now as part of the five-piece Hhymn, they spend their time creating meaningful and melancholic melodies designed to give the listener a soundtrack to cry to. Bannard’s former occupation as a grave digger has certainly offered inspiration for his achingly beautiful sound as ‘Land Of Souls’ would certainly not be out of place being played to a mass of mourners. The vast arsenal of instruments employed offer a great support to the poeticism of Bannard’s dulcet tones whilst not being too overpowering. The amalgamation of heavenly horns, pulsating rhythms and tender harmonies creates a masterpiece of melodramatic popular song. Brimming with empathy and pathos, Hhymn present themselves as a band who know exactly what they want to do and do it well.
Following their energetic debut single, ‘Straight Back On It’, Young Fathers are back with their latest track, ‘Automatic’. It’s a fluid fusion of eccentric electro beats blended into a hip-hop foundation that does the Scottish trio’s growing reputation justice. Their recent tour with Simian Mobile Disco resulted in the co-produced ‘Turn Up The Dial’ which found itself on SMD’s 2009 album, ‘Temporary Pleasure’. This, coupled with the fact that the lads have already appeared with Shaun Ryder’s Black Grape, Dizzee Rascal, The Noisettes, La Roux, and Grandmaster Flash, highlights their ever-increasing popularity. This AA single includes the heavier B-side, ‘Dancing Mantaray’, which, produced by dubstep’s Ginz, is slowed-down, chilled-out and synthed-up in relation to the A-side, and as a result loses the gripping nature that makes you want to listen to ‘Automatic’ again and again. ‘Dancing Mantaray’ is nonetheless well worth a listen. With shades of De La Soul, Outkast and even Spank Rock, ‘Automatic’ is a feast of power pop, its main weakness being its abrupt ending at a slightly disappointing two and half minutes long.
