Delphic is an up and coming electro band from Manchester, UK that has played with The Streets and Bloc Party among others. Their hypnotic new single “Counterpoint” is set to be released April 13, 2009. The nifty video for it is above this text! Imagine that!
March 30, 2009
September 28, 2008
Mason Proper Streamline their Sound on New Release "Olly Olly Oxen Free"
I first heard Mason Proper at an old radio station meeting as the staff were doling out new CD’s for the club members to review. I heard the first few seconds of “A Chance Encounter” off of their acclaimed debut CD “There is a Moth in Your Chest”, and once I heard the swooshing sythesizer and echo affected vocals, I was intrigued. Upon further examination the album proved to have many gems, among which were the manic synth driven “Lights Off” and thier hyper guitar heavy jam “My My (Bad Fruit)”, that was reminiscent somewhat of the Pixies, but with a smidge of synth . The album went on to become one
of my top albums of 2007.
The Ann Arbor, Michigan group released a stylistically impressive EP entitled “Shorthand” earlier this year and a few stylistically impressive videos to match. As of September 23, 2008, the band have a new album out entitled “Olly Olly Oxen Free”. The biggest thing I noticed upon the first listen is that Mason proper have adopted a “Less is more” philosophy on this record. Gone are the wild tempos and reckless sounds. Everything here is carefully constructed. Thats not to say that there aren’t experimental sounds to be heard on this record, in fact there are some sounds on here that are as satisfying as anything the Mason Proper crew has assembled. The sound overall is much more premeditated, and dare I say, even pretty. Jonathan Visgr’s capable vocals soar to the front of the mix showing that he can make mid-tempo rockers pump and writhe, and the locking bass drum combo accentuates the pulse of each song perfectly. Don’t fret, those glorious keys and piano that made “There is a Moth in Your Chest” so exciting aren’t absent, making a strong showing on “Only a Moment” and “Shiny”. Mason Proper have even added in some horns on some tracks to expand thier musical pallete. They’ve made a much more cohesive album than their debut, one you could easilly find yourself lost in it for hours. Mason Proper are on top of their game, at their quirky crazy best, and confident enough not to hit you over the head with that fact.
November 14, 2007
The Monday Radio Show, STACK ATTACK!
So I have a show that is broadcast from WNYO every Monday from 11-noon. I know that many people are in class or at work and cannot listen. However I am in the process of developing techniques and schedules so that everyone can listen to my show. If you can you should definitely listen next week because I have a special guest co-host. Anyway one of my plans is to post all the tracks I’ve played the same day.
I realize that it is Wednesday morning and that I am posting Monday’s show. So, I’ll just get to it.
Stack Attack Station ID – AZLTRON
The Girls – Calvin Harris
I am Somebody – DJ Mehdi (Ft. Chromeo)
Live a Litte – (We Are) Performance
Starlett Johanssen – The Teenagers
Despite What You’ve Been Told – Two Gallants
Is This The Last Time? – Spoon
He Keeps Me Alive – Sally Shapiro
P.S. You Rock My World – The Eels
Nothing Lasts Forever – Echo & The Bunnymen
Cut Cut Paste – Tokyo Police Club
November 1, 2007
I Need A Short Sharp Shock!!!
I remember when Performance was receiving a fanatical amount of hype from NME 2 years ago along with Editors and another band that has since faded into obscurity. All cited as being the next big thing in England. Editors had “Bullets” and Performance had “Love Life”. Honestly I was more impressed with Performance. Throbbing synth, manic almost Robert Smith vocals, and a black and white video featuring children as the audience won me over almost instantly. I think the Editors just stood in a club somewhere preaching about vaccines(heh).Soon after, Editors released their debut album and emerged as a contemporaries of Interpol and later morphed into a New Order/Coldplay Hybrid to gain attention as a Snow Patrol knock-off, but what of Performance?
(We Are) Performance, as they are now known, experienced some difficult relations with record labels and funding, but they finally released their eponymous debut this year. I actually found out about it by scrolling through a friends music and saw it in his library. I then immediately demanded that he send me a copy. Upon listening to the album in full I wasn’t disappointed.
The Manchester four-piece serves up delicious slices of electro-pop-rock that will feed the hungriest of indie consumers. Their Human League meets the Klaxons sound soars; utilizing fist pumping anthem choruses. The relentless fervor of each song is seemingly frozen in mid-air with the crystalline backing vocals of the Marsden sisters. They compare relationship difficulties to living in a post nuclear disaster world, and I couldn’t think of a more over the top or appropriate hook to draw you into their perfectly orchestrated world.
Mp3 – Short Sharp Shock – (We Are Performance)
Mp3 – (In Your Own Words) Chernobyl – (We Are Performance)
You Know, aside from the nuclear disaster, Chernobyl would’ve been a lovely girls’ name.
