1. Detune their standards until Jedward sound like Marvin Gaye reincarnate.
2. Can pick a cherry from a turdy fog but are so useless at admin record companies burn all their applications in the town square so they can’t even be kept on record for any A&R jobs. Ever.
3. Become incapable of tasting anything let alone music – after hearing so many singer song writers performing edgy acoustic versions of Hey Ya by Outkast their brain has imploded and only survive on a zombie motor function enabling them to turn the knob up to 11.

Although Manchester rockers Everything Everything will never know which category the sound man from their debut gig in 2007 fell into – they thankfully listened to his praise despite a baffled response from the crowd and carried on.

I’m sure he was s cherry picker – as today Everything Everything look set to be one of the biggest bands to arrive in 2010. Pigeonholed into indie, the band are justifiably uncomfortable with the labelling. There’s much more than the jangly guitars – pop, dance and experimentalism all make an appearance. You may hear some Futureheads and Metronomy on their records – but most noticeably Everything Everything take some breathtakingly bizarre musical turns. Genuinely fascinating and fun listening.

Their debut album Man Alive comes out on 30 August and is available to pre-order on Amazon.

Here is the current video for their latest single MY KZ, UR BF. I’m quite scared of lead singer Jonathan Higgs’s head tilt – but I do love his voice:

I’m a big fan of experimentalism within pop aesthetics, rather like Yeasayer’s great album Odd Blood. What Menomena adds is their ability to create a more natural palette of colours to entice our ear buds with.

Somehow their songs are architectural masterpieces despite their unique drafting methods. It’s complicated – using software called Digital Looping Recorder (Deeler) programmed by band memeber Brent Knopf. Menomena‘s drummer Danny Seim‘s explanation of the process will be far better than anything I can muster:

“First, we set the tempo of the click, which is played through a pair of head phones. We then take turns passing a single mic around the room. One of us will hold the mic in front of an instrument, while another one of us will lay down a short improvised riff over the click track. We usually start with the drums. Once the drums begin looping, we throw on some bass, piano, guitar, bells, sax, or whatever other sort of noise maker happens to be in the room. Deeler keeps the process democratic, which is the only way we can operate”.

Mines is one of those rare albums you’ll be able to come back to time and time again and still find treats you haven’t heard before amongst its many milliseconds of aural pleasure.

You can buy Mines on Amazon or listen on Spotify.

If you’re really lazy you can listen to one of my highlights from the album,  Five Little Rooms here – but I’d suggest you download it in exchange for your email address and take it with you everywhere:

Menomena - Five Little Rooms mp3

Menomena UK Tour Dates

For those of us in the UK you can see them at the following dates:

• 11/29/10 – London at XOYO
• 12/01/10 – Manchester at Deaf Institute
• 12/02/10 – Glasgow at Arches
• 12/03/10 – Liverpool at Kazimir
• 12/04/10 – Leeds at Brudenell

He laughed mockingly when he dealt me the news. I cried a little inside.

My only hope is that Dead Confederate, one of my favourite bands, come back to tour the UK to promote their new album Sugar.

Two years ago I wrote about Dead Confederate and their debut album Wrecking Ball came in as runner up in my top 10 albums of 2008.

So I was frothing at the mouth reading the glowing Love Shack, Baby review of Sugar. 24 August, the release date, is a day on which I will be more happy than any of the dance scenes on Glee.

You can download the single Giving It All Away for the meagre price of your email address:

Thom Yorke

Despite murmurs from the Oxford group that after In Rainbows they wouldn’t be releasing a full LP again - according to Ed O’Brien they are in fact close to finishing off their 8th album. Just as Michael Jackson used to create a media storm with a  new record release – a new album from Radiohead will surely be broadcast on news bulletins worldwide, especially after the coverage In Rainbows received.

Here is Thom in all his new beardy glory performing Give Up the Ghost. Quite a tasteful use of the looper – although nearly everything Thom Yorke comes up with is tasteful in my opinion.

Other than the museum I struggle to come up with a reason why you wouldn’t visit Seattle – it’s lovely and also where Nate Moceri of Frame the City comes from.

Moceri now resides in Portland – and as Frame the City grafts some slick laid back electro rock. The mixture of Moceri’s distant but compelling vocals with well written songs work perfectly and keep me coming back for more.

Memories of his hometown’s rock legends are conjured up by Moceri’s voice – you can find out more about Seattle’s musical past at the Museum there. No wait – look it up on Wikipedia instead.

Frame the City released their first album Someday We Will All be the Same in Janruary 2009 and the We Were Wolves EP in February this year, you can buy both from Amazon. Katie Byron and Ashley Ennis frequently collaborate with Nate as guest vocalists and Frame the City are currently in the studio recording their next EP.

As a preview here are two tracks courtesy of Nate. We Were Wolves is one of the most gorgeous tracks I’ve heard for a long time. It’s no surprise from both of these songs that Nate has previously been on MTV’s books for songwriting and composing. Hopefully before long Frame the City will just be on MTV.

Frame the City – We Were Wolves mp3

Frame the City – Wearing Jeans to Bed mp3

You can like Frame the City on Facebook.

The roaming minstrel has been just about everywhere of late apart from with the group that brought him fame – well of sorts.

Although I admit I was never the biggest fan when he first came on the scene – I have grown to love his searing wobbly vocals.

Thank You for Your Love is out on 30 August and Antony and the Johnsons‘ new album Swanlights is out 11 October.

Here is the new single for you – which I think is rather nice:

Anyway Jonsi of Sigur Rós has just released a new music video for one of my favourite songs of the year – Animal Arithmetic from his first solo album, GO.

Here it is:

“I play drums in Babyshambles but don’t let that put you off.” Good thing it didn’t, because whilst I adore Marmite, I’m not a fan of Babyshambles. 

Adam Ficek, performing under the monicker Roses Kings Castles, is a DJing songwriting multi-instrumentalist whose talents would leave any baby in a shambles.

 Adam says Bletchley, Milton Keynes, where he was born is an, “odd satellite suburban juxtaposition of a place, it doesn’t quite know whether it’s farmland or city“. This perpetually British suburban conundrum has clearly impacted Roses Kings Castles eponymous debut album.

I admire music that connects with the context in which it is created. Take for example the superb The Imagined Village or Jim Moray – both acts successfully unite British folk and urban music.

Roses Kings Castles initially started as a filler during Babyshamble’s break (see The Sun, The Mirror or the Daily Star for more details). It soon spiralled into much more, and Ficek’s home made Lo-Fi has been received with much deserved praise.

The debut album is available from Amazon, but you can preview Roses Kings Castles either with the remix of Entroubled by Boy + Girl from Fried My Little Brain.  Or you could simply listen to the exclusive to holeytonal radio edit:

Roses Kings Castles – Entroubled (mp3)

Major labels should know sounds that sell – with rosters full of great artists or at least great assets. So why was I so surprised at a gig featuring two singers signed to Universal and Warner?

Because the two unsigned acts also playing put the big boys to shame.

I don’t care if artists are signed to a major, an independent or are unsigned. Its the music that counts. What does irk me are major labels wasting money on generic muck when there is spectacular talent on their doorstep.

Life In Film

Unsigned Life In Film were one of the bands that deserves the rewards of being signed. Their infectious and unique indie pop could sell many records. Festival crowds will love their sing along choruses, whilst mud dancing to the funky rhythms. Life In Film’s live set did lose some subtlety from their recordings – but add a glockenspiel and problem solved.

Actually nothing was subtle in the Water Rats – you’d have been lucky to hear a 747 if it sat on your face – its stupid and dangerous. I’d still like my hearing when I reach 30.

I’m Sorry, You Don’t Know What You’re Doing

I was instantly put off Doug Walker (Warner) and Gary Go (Universal) – they’ve been manicured into  such characterless manifestations of mediocrity that if they chanted their own names in every chorus you still wouldn’t know who they were. A Life In Film track on the other hand could play on the radio and you’d know who it belongs to. We can only hope they get more radio play, especially if they keep on writing songs like I’m Sorry, I Didn’t Know What To Do. If I did tune of the month this exclusive from Life In Film would be October’s flavour:

Life in Film – I’m Sorry, I Didn’t Know What To Do (mp3)

I haven’t had that feeling since listening to OK Computer, but Wrecking Ball by Dead Confederate certainly came close. Since my previous post about them they have created a musical behemoth which is sublime, beautiful and amazing.

There’s No Need For Prunge

Crudely, this album could have happened if Pink Floyd collaborated with Nirvana, making err, Prunge – no don’t be silly. But it is fascinating to hear Dead Confederate‘s influences mix together so seamlessly.

Paranoid About Your Size?

Out of the 10 songs, only three are less than five minutes, and Flesh Colored Canvass holds your attention for over 12 minutes. My friend commented that “if you’re planning on writing 7 – 12 min songs maybe take a leaf out of Radiohead’s book and diversify a little“.

I absolutely adore Paranoid Android, but on closer inspection its just three songs stuck together. Where Flesh Colored Canvass triumphs is through its peaks and troughs, leading to build up only to fade to the ether, rather like the Adagietto from Mahler’s Symphony No. 5.

Can You Hear the Dead?

To fully appreciate Wrecking Ball, don’t put it on whilst doing something else. Give it the attention it deserves. If you don’t you’ll miss everything special about this album.

Now follows, Goner, a track from Wrecking Ball. I know there’s a recession on the way, but you really should buy this album.

Dead Confederate – Goner (mp3)