News, Releases, Yada Yada Yada

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Alright, holiday slump is officially over so time to share the goods – here’s the latest from Glow Curve, CNdY, Arrows Made of Desire, and the British Council. Wait, what? Continue forth, young ones –

Found this over at China Music Radar – a short documentary entitled ‘From Wrexham to Wuhan’ which follows four bands back West during their tours’ of China. Here’s the logline: ‘take a band from each of the home nations and drop them in on a Chinese tour in a geographical environment that might remind them in some small way of home and see what transpires. Highlights include following the journey of Gallops – a band from a post-industrial town in Wales – as members travelled along the banks of the Yangtze, playing some of the most industrial cities on the planet. And So I Watch You From Afar headed to Yunnan, China’s greenest and most verdant province. Later in 2012 Jamie Woon flew North to the great ice city of Harbin, while indie collective label Fence journeyed from their spiritual home in Fife to the deserts of Xinjiang. “From Wrexham to Wuhan” follows these epic journeys, chronicling the ups and downs, the great moments and the difficult ones.’ Pretty friggin cool – think I even saw my lanky self in some of those clips. Check out the whole documentary over at LeTV.

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Remember when Glow Curve was considered a post rock band – I think it’s safe to throw away that label after listening to their latest Modern Sky release – Dedicated To Mind. If anything, their sound lays more in the realm of math rock now – but really this bad boy is all over the place musically. And while it may be huge in scope, and tries ever so hard to be epic it instead comes off as flat and muted. Fuzzed over vocals distract from the hard-hitting guitar chords, and electronic effects cheapen the atmosphere. There are standouts though – most notably ‘Midnight Express’, which despite the subdued vocals hits some genuine emotional highs thanks to the instrumental work, and ‘Double Vision’ which lost none of it kick in the studio. Also, tip of the hat to the opener and closer ON/OFF, which punches the album into high gear immediately and closes the album on a sublime dreamy note, respectfully. Glow Curve’s head is in the right place but this isn’t the winner I was hoping for. Give it a listen and buy it over here. Read Liz Tung’s of take on it over at TimeOut.

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Speaking of all over the place, electronic trio with a knack for mixing house and techno beats with experimental relish, CNdY, went ahead and released their second full-length album entitled Hi Fi, after last year’s Acid Candy. Give it a whirl. As the group states themselves, this thing was tailor made for the weekend (‘High Friday’) and they couldn’t be more on point. It’s a rush of an album, one that would fit right in with the club scene, and while it may have lost a bit off the edge they brought to their live set (as well as the animal heads) it’s an joyous album that feels full and complete. Whether pushing the ethereal soundscapes to the max, allowing ZYB to flex his vocals with dream-like lyrics, it’s all about the vibes with Hi Fi – far out chillaxing vibes. Standouts for me would be ‘Electric Bird’ and ‘You Said The Past Isn’t Worth Mentioning, OK’ though really this is a album that you gotta turn up the bass for, pack that gravity bong, and just give in to. Purchase it over at Indie Music.

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I posted about alternative rock group Arrows Made of Desire’s Fate a few months back, and I’ve finally gotten my hands on the dang thing and I need to get my two cents out – these son of bitches know how to tap into my inner Billy Joel. Yeah, while the band may owe more to lo-fi indie outfits like Badly Drawn Boy, The Beta Band, and Doves, Arrows’ sound is so full of jubilant life-affirming, upbeat tunes about young adulthood that all I can picture is a young yearning Billy Joel. I haven’t even mentioned the overlapping vocals from lead Joewi – handled beautifully on “Chain Gang Fugitive’, one of the album’s highlights. Others include “Into The Woods’ featuring a killer electronic keyboard midriff and “God” which addresses religious themes without ever feeling religious. Reflective, genuine, and bittersweet it’s the perfect autumn soundtrack to the anyone drifting through Beijing trying to get a handle on things. Purchase it over here.

 

Alright, that’s all I got to share – come back next week for the latest from Rolling Bowling, Tengger Cavalry, KTR, and more.

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