I Need Fun In My Life

The Drums have the worst haircuts. Their music videos look like they've been using film equipment from old British sitcoms. Their sound references 1960's girl groups, surf pop, synthesizer bands from the 80's and a whole lot of reverb. How can these guys be from the States?

Normally, any of the above would get a kid beat up by the other kids. But I guess it works if you're in a band. Their sound is a delicious sprinkling of everything unabashedly fun and geeky. So behind the times, it's actually cool.

Drums - Forever and Ever Amen (mp3) (buy)

Big Jet Plane

It was 31 degrees celsius in Toronto today and you could see the heat rise from the pavement making the air look a bit wavy. I was driving and listening to Australian brother and sister duo Angus and Julia Stone.

Most folk music reminds me of the winter. It's probably because of the melanchony, introspective quietness that's found in alot of acoustic guitar songs. And yeah, it's true that Angus and Julia Stone fall into this category with their hushed tones and lush guitar work. But it was strange how the intense temperature gave the perfect backdrop to these songs. It's not beach music by any means, but these are folk songs meant for hot weather. It just evokes the sentimentality of summer days.

It's amazing how context can change things.

Angus and Julia Stone - Big Jet Plane (mp3) (iTunes)

Take My Hand

New Cut Copy! They've got the first song off of their next LP available for download from their official site for the low low price of an email address.

It reminds me a little bit more of stuff from Bright Like Neon Lights rather than In Ghost Colours. It's more ambient, fuzz and straight-forward math-rock than the shimmery post-New Order dreamscapes of In Ghost Colours. It's still got the heart that's so hard to find in electro-pop, but this time, it's ruled with more black and white logic.

Can't wait to hear more of it.

Cut Copy - Where I'm Going (mp3) (download from official site)

Cymbals Likes Pavement

What's this? A British band that likes Pavement? I think you had me at "hello." Cymbals has released two tracks, one is energetic, falsetto-inducing angular post-punk and the other is a stylized cover of Pavement's "Kennel District." I'm not such a fan of their cover, but their original track, "Summer Job" is quite addictive. They have no other information posted anywhere on the web or their official myspace, but I hope there's more music to come from these Londoners.

Cymbals - Summer Job (mp3) (bandcamp)

Cuff the Duke

The first time I ever saw Cuff the Duke perform, I hated them. They were opening for another band a few years back and it was the first time I had ever even heard of them. I thought they sounded like a weird mix of experimental Radiohead and country-folk. It was WEIRD.

Somehow I keep running into their songs on TV, on the internet through Podcasts and whatnot. They do have a country-ish twang to their sound, but no KID A weirdness, thank goodness. It's actually pretty good stuff.

And now I'm trying to figure out if they ever sounded like Radiohead or if I was just completely out if it that night. W-T-F?

Cuff the Duke - Follow Me (mp3) (buy)