I wouldn’t say that Bill Majoros, otherwise known as The Foreign Films, is anything like Kitano, or Japanese films, but his music would can certainly fill my time like Kitano did.

Marjoros’ former band Flux A.D. included Julie Fader (Feist, Great Lake Swimmers) and Graham Walsh (Holy Fuck) and has toured much of North America in various guises. Now he’s montaging all his experiences and sounds into a new soundtrack of his life as The Foreign Films.

Out of Marjoros’ songwriting skills and crunchy compressed vocals comes forth a mix of jangly 60′s guitars, 80′s new wave and soul bass riffs. It’s a refreshingly infectious summery feeling that will hopefully take him as far as the land of the setting sun.

He recently released the EP Fire From Spark which features appearances from Kori Pop and Alex McMaster (Arcade Fire). Courtesy of Bill, here is my highlight from the release, Lucky Streak, a catchy number which oozes class, so much so that it wouldn’t go amiss on a James Bond soundtrack…

The Foreign Films – Lucky Streak (mp3)

You can buy Fire From Spark from Bandcamp and follow The Foreign Films on Twitter

British rock has taken a slump recently, there’s nothing new getting too far, but lets hope that changes. We’re due a new pop rock band soon. Actually what was the last great pop rock band? Arctic Monkeys I guess.

The Van Doos are a London based group and one of the rare breed that are not stuck in the gradually grating dickhead East London vibe. Maybe it’s cause one of the members is from York, like me. Don’t worry though, they don’t sound much like the only musical greatness from York since the medieval ages, Shed Seven.

Well they’re very new, so their isn’t much out there about them at the moment, so I’d say the best way to get to know their music is to listen to their new release, Is This The One, which I’m addicted to already:

The Vand Doos – Is This The One (mp3)

Download Is This The One for the price of your email address

Their first track, another great pop rock number Tenterhooks, is on soundcloud – oh and here it is:

The Van Doos – Tenterhooks by The Van Doos

The Phantom Band have been lurking since 2004, and in 2007 signed to London label Trial & Error. They now ply their trade locally with Glasgow indie label Chemikal Underground. Their third album The Wants was released in October 2010.

If I were to like Glavegas, then The Phantom Band is whay they’d have to sound like. The Scottish vocals of lead singer Rick Anthony weave yarns with plenty of Celtic charm over mesmeric experimental folk pop tracks. They are upbeat too which is probably why I like them over the tedious melancholy of Glasvegas.

Here are some tracks from The Wants. I think you’ll like them.

Into The Corn by ThePhantomBand

Everybody Knows It’s True by ThePhantomBand

Along the same folky vain is fellow Austin dweller Galapaghost – the work of singer songwriting producer Casey Chandler.

With crunchy flanged guitars and ukulele strums there are touches of fellow solo artist Liam Finn, whilst his falsetto vocals soar like those on Shearwater songs.

This autumnal Song for the Weekend is the lead single from Galapaghost‘s latest EP – Neptune. The sci-fi intro probably does take this more into the realms of indie, but you can still hear great folky undertones, even in the synths.

Neptune by Galapaghost

You can hear more of Galapaghost on SoundCloud and you can buy his Neptunes EP on Amazon

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:

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:

Basel, Switzerland – a town of culture, the pharmaceutical industry and permanent frowns. No one smiles in the birthplace of LSD. Basel was pretty, but my holiday was like a trip to a mental asylum. Clinical, regulated and dull. We needed to escape. To Germany.

Freiberg, a beautiful town with great food and smiles, was worth the hour long train journey. Especially as we managed to squeeze in a Broadcast 2000 gig.

Joe Steer, the brains of Broadcast 2000, has been justifiably triumphed by my friends recently. His experimental acoustic jinks, backed by a rare mix of snare drum, violin and glockenspiel, are delightful.

The music of Broadcast 20000 feels more authentic than the similarly styled Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. Perhaps the lack of electronic mumbo jumbo makes a more heart-warming and personal experience. Songwriters that don’t bombard me with all the crazy shit they find on their music software are in my good books – experimentalism can be all about moderation.

Broadcast 2000‘s exposure has been, well, quite big. Get Up and Go is on an Orange advert and on Building Blocks, their tasty mini-album. To whet your appetite Joe has kindly offered my favourite song from the album to holeytonal for you to devour:

Broadcast 2000 – Everybody & Me

Especially when an arty fan of James and the Jewellery Store from Copenhagen makes a music video of Lights Go Dim. Only Danes, as the inventors of Dogma 95, can get away with camcorder films – Festen is one of my favourite movies.

You can download an MP3 of Lights Go Dim from my previous post about James and The Jewellery Store. But his story driven lyrics, bound with the sound of Sufjan Stephens on burlesque, deserve the attention of any art house film maker:

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)

Is anyone else becoming addicted to Born Survivor with Bear Grylls? He eats caterpillars and cuts the heads off skunks. Double hard.

I’ll never be that adventurous, but I’m always up for New Adventures. Especially ones destined to fill arenas around the world.

The four men of New Adventures began playing together at university, but a piece of the jigsaw was missing until vintage jeans brought Helen into the fold. Jez and Steve were selling vintage clothing – Helen bought some, and the rest is history.

The main obstacle New Adventures face is being lumped with Coldplay and Keane – but once you get over that you can enjoy some delicious stadium rock.

New Adventures will be releasing a second EP, Accidents, later this year featuring the stunning and drumless Never Get Caught, which can be heard on their MySpace. But I have fallen in love with this post’s MP3, try not to sing along:

New Adventures – Godspeed & Goodnight (mp3)

New Adventures are playing at Barfly in Camden, Thursday 23 October.