Efterklang- Parades

Efterklang's second album, Parades is an absolute delight, very rarely do you hear an album that is so epic yet beautifully personal. Imagine Illinois by Sufjan Stevens with elements of Arcade Fire and Sigur Ros and you are kind of there. Oh and sung in Danish.

The band have managed to create such a huge sound it is amazing to think the band have only five members. The orchestration of the album is absolutely fantastic and it really is a crime if this band is not heard by everyone. It is near impossible for me to draw a highlight from this bunch but the albums second track Mirador is near perfect.

Although Efterklang's music might be grand for some peoples tastes but if you are a fan of the bands mentioned above Parades is definitely worth checking out, Parades is definitely a sign that this band has much more to offer, I cant wait to see how these songs are translated live.






Efterklang
"Cutting Ice to Snow" (mp3)
from "Parades"
(Rumraket)

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Here is a beautifully animated video for the track Mirador

Nina Nastasia & Jim White - You Follow Me

On her latest album Nina Nastasia has collaborated with Dirty Three Drummer Jim White and also re-enlisted the production expertise of the amazing Steve Albini, I will never forget walking past Steve's Challet every night at ATP seeing him playing a huge game of poker with various other band members.

Considering other Albini produced albums I have heard You Follow Me is a very mellow affair. I was new to Nina Nastasia's music before hearing this album and I have to admit I am really impressed. She has a really listenable voice with a lyrical flair that her contemparies really lack. Even though the albums production is very stripped down, just consisting of a guitar, vocals and drums there is a great deal of power in the music especially through Nastasias emotive vocals and Whites drumming. Considering the albums quiet sound Whites drumming is very powerful and almost experimental. At some points the drums work as a lead instrument as well as percussion which is very rare with this style of music.

Nina Nastasia's voice is a joy to listen to and has a breathy melody which really grabs your attention, working on different tones and harmonies in songs she really is a fantastic artist. You Follow Me is a really interesting listen, you wont here this level of experimentation in such a stripped form in many albums this year.


Nina Nastasia & Jim White
"I Write Down Lists" (mp3)
from "You Follow Me"
(Fat Cat Records)

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Health- Health

Health's music is nuts, absolutely crazy and I love it! This is not bedtime/ Sunday hangover curing listening this is tribal Drums not Dead era Liars with an electric make over.

The first three tracks scream past you like an earthquake, primal rage in short bursts its not until the forth track in you get some vocals. The vocals seem part of the music rather than leading the songs and it works really well. Crimewave shows this really well, screaming vocals, grinding guitars and drums straight from the Amazon. This is not a tame listening experience for anyone...

The albums 11 tracks clocks in at just over 30 minutes and that is about what you can take before your head explodes, the drumming in this album is exceptional and it really holds the album together. If you are not a fan of the more melodic sounds of the new Liars album and want to hear something a bit more biting this is the album for you. Just don't listen if you have a headache coming on.

HEALTH
"Crimewave" (mp3)
from "HEALTH"
(Lovepump United)

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Video for Crimewave: This is a Crystal Castles remix which gives the track different twist. Funky.

Future Of The Left- Curses

Featuring members of Mclusky and Jarcrew there is certainly enough talent in Future Of The Left to do something pretty special, they certainly do not disappoint. This album will definitely keep any Mclusky fans happy, to be honest it surpassed my expectations by some way.

To be honest it is great to hear Andy Falkous writing new lyrics, if you are not familar with Mclusky you really should buy Mcluskyism, the best of album released a few years ago. There is not a bad track on there and you can hear a band who can say something as meaningful as Dylan whilst making you laugh at the same time, there really isn't anything like it.

Curses rocks like an absolute mother! It is easily one of the British Rock albums of the year, this is an album which every Indie fan should own, to be honest any album with lyrics like “46 seconds in your company or 94 years in a frozen wasteland, 38 minutes in a chickens nightmare” is bound to be a winner.

MP3: Plague Of Onces


Buy it!

Video of the fantastic The Lord Hates A Coward at SXSW:

Plastic Operator- Different Places

First off, sorry for the elongated delay in my return. Im sorry. Im glad to say that I have now moved from London to Leeds and am ready to continue writing... It was a mixed summer for music, ive been listening to some great stuff which i am looking forward to writing about over the next few weeks.

Although my experiences at the incredibly poorly orgainised Tales of The Jackalope festival had definitely put a tarnish on my summer, Fucked Ups set was cut short due to the over running over the many shite Hoxton based bands earlier in the day which meant Gang Gang Dance couldnt go on. To make matters worse ESG (who have now stopped playing live) and Too Many DJ'S didn't turn up. Im sure the next time these Hoxtoners come back to Norfolk I will be at the front of the queue with my pitchfork, blast those city types.

I almost forgot, to give my experience an even more bizarre slant around about 6 o clock our one hours sleep was interrupted by a familiar yet incredibly irritating voice, that of T4's Miketa Oliver who had decided with her group of incredibly posh friends to throw gravel and wrestle each other on everyones tents. Oh the horror.

Anyway....

If you are a fan of Electronic indie/pop in the vein of the Postal Service or Casiotone for the Painfully Alone then the music of Plastic Operator will be definitely be right up your alley.

The band take a mainly european Electro pop sound ala Erasure or the Pet Shop Boys and give a more modern make over. It isn't the most groundbreaking music you will ever hear but its fantastic listening to make you think of the summer when the cold nights are drawing in. Highlights for me include Folder which was a big hit on Rob Da Banks Sunday Best Label and Parasols which uses guest vocalist Sarah Ferri's vocals to great effect and makes a great break to the rest of the album. With Robyn finally making the big time after years in the Wilderness hopefully this could be time for groups like Plastic Operator to make the step up and make pop music more interesting again.



Home 0207 (mp3)


Plastic Operator
"Home 0207" (mp3)
from "Different Places"
(Fine Day Records)

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Waxfruit Hiatus

Hi guys,


I will be taking a few weeks break from writing on the site, so I can really can catch up with some great new music to write about and get ready to move this week.

Thanks for reading and I will speak to you soon.

Animal Collective

Here is a track from the new Animal Collective album "Strawberry Jam", its bound to be one of the albums of the year so enjoy before the album is released in September!

Pig Destroyer- Phantom Limb

Im would never call myself the biggest metal fan, when I was a youngster I was certainly a metaller. I like Slipknot before the rest did, yeah, I liked Soulfly and so many more. It makes me laugh when I see the bands I used to like about six or seven years ago playing the same tracks I used to love without any growth or variation. I think the only growth that bands like Korn have shown recently is the size of singer Jonathan Davis's waistband.

My lost faith in metal isnt helped when I get sent the occasional stinker to review for Glasswerk.co.uk my other music journalisty writing thing I do. One of my favourites being a review for Breed 77's last single which was truely the worst thing I have ever heard. Here is a link to the review if you are interested.... reviewage

I think the fact that I am so sceptical about Metal music really sets me up to be blown away when I hear something amazing. Recently I was well and truely blown out of the stratosphere by an album so extreme it makes Breed 77 look like the 20th Century Girls...

This album is Phantom Limb by Pig Destroyer, the title is a pretty good indication of how extreme this band is, this is the good stuff, proper amazing metal music.

The songs are incredibly short, occasionally some tracks clock in over three minutes. The songs merge together with effortless ease and the vocals echo with pure unadultrated rage, this isnt a teenage My Chemical Romance teen metal this is the real deal and its amazing. The band has a swagger in their musicanship even an element of funk, Kerry King meets Bootsy Collins. Even though this isnt for everyone, if you are a fan of metal or grindcore this is an essential release.

If metal isnt your scene I will post again later this week with something a bit chirpier.

MP3: Loathsome

Blitzen Trapper

Blitzen Trapper new album Wild Mountain Nation is an absoutle master stroke of genius. It takes elements of Super Furry Animals at the loopiest, with added prog and a huge dose of white man funk.

Although it follows a loose indie sound it is almost impossible to place under a genre, it covers so many boundries from rock, electronica, indie, alt country. It is a fantastic album.

If you are looking for something new for this summer I would definately considering checking out this album, this is summer indie pop at it's greatest.

MP3: Sci-Fi Kid

Tales Of The Jackalope

If like me you hail from the UK's booty also known as the East Of England you would definately notice that there is a distinct lack of musical festivals. The music scene in Norfolk, well Norwich has got tons better in recent years.

Last Year we had the start of the Latitude festival which is a huge step in the right direction even if the line up is a little bit dull this year, if Arcade Fire weren't playing it would be pretty unexciting.

Ive decided to invest my hard earned money in another new festival, Tales Of The Jackalope at Kimberly Hall near Wymondham. Where? I hear you ask.

Vice magazine have moved the festival down from Derbyshire to sunny Norfolk with a pretty sound line up which promises to grow in the next few weeks. It proves to be the best 24 hours you could possibly have in Norfolk.

Here is the confirmed line up so far....
Dizzie Rascal
THE FALL
2MANYDJS
ESG
CHROMEO
FUCKED UP
UFFIE & FEADZ
FOALS
SHY CHILD
THE RUMBLE STRIPS
GANG GANG DANCE
THESE NEW PURITANS
CHRIS CUNNINGHAM DJ set
LATE OF THE PIER
THE HOURS
DANANANANANYKROYD
LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION
GET SHAKES
ERRORS
DJ MEHDI
AUTOKRATZ
CHOW CHOW
OX.EAGLE.LION.MAN.
THE MORE ASSURED
COMANECHI
STRIKEN CITY
CONNAN & THE MOCKASINS
FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE MUSIC
INVASION
TURBO WOLF
THE PHANTOM BAND
ECONOMY WOLF
MATHS CLASS
LE TETSUO
DEAD PIXEL
MAMASHAMONE

I cant wait for Dizzie Rascal, The Fall, ESG and Gang Gang Dance. Im also pretty excited about seeing Chris Cunningham.

Tickets are £35 for a short period so get you're tickets now!

Website

Flight of The Conchords

Flight of the Conchords - Pilot

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New Zealand comedy folk duo Flight Of The Conchords first TV show for HBO was on this weekend, it has been available on the HBO website for a while now. I had heard some good things about them so I decided to check out the show.

I really enjoyed it actually, the humour is really British, it follows elements of huge British shows, I saw parts of Peep Show, The Mighty Boosh and The Office in there. The best part of the show is easily the songs it pushes the show from being an better than average comedy to something quite special. Uptop is the shows pilot entitled Sally. Enjoy.

Parts and Labour

Mapmaker by Parts and Labour is a fantastic effort, it captures the hardcore intesisity of bands like Oneida and Lightning Bolt and giving it a more dancey edge, album opener Fractured Skies has been cemented in my mp3 player for several weeks. It opens in s pretty grand style but nothing prepares you for the horn section that kicks in towards the end, blimey o' riley.

If you are fan of loud music with an edge then this will certainly take pride of place in your music collection, this is a loud thunderstorm of an album but with enough melody and texture to bring you back for more.



MP3: Fractured Skies

A Sunny Day In Glasgow

Scribble Mural Comic Journal is the new album from A Sunny Day In Glasgow,the Montreal is an album which is a fantastic effort. Truely original yet capturing a familar sound almost Moon Safriesque meets Shoegaze but with the originality to keep it high on my playlist this last few weeks.

An album filled with the electronic sounds, dreamy sound scapes and pure pop heaven.


Myspace

MP3: The Best Summer Ever

MP3: No 6 Von Karman Street

Sorry about the briefness of this post, I have just started a new job which has left me constantly tired. I will buck up my ideas this week with some super postage. Got plently of great new music to unleash on you guys!

Dan Deacon, Spiderman of the Rings

Not that I am one for brandishing the tag Nu-Rave on bands, its a bit lazy and its also a horrible name for a genre but if any artist that I have heard recently is truely what Nu-rave should be it is Dan Deacon. His debut solo album Spiderman of the rings is a fusion of happy hardcore, Gabba, Rock, and Electro pushed to epic proportions.

Deacon is a breath fresh air in a sadly tiring musical sub-genre where a band just seem to throw in a keyboard with a few bleeps and can throw themselves into an already overcrowed scene. This was perfectly displayed at my visit to Bristol's Dot To Dot Festival last week, every band were throwing beats and synth into their music where they didnt really need to. Anything to help you get a record deal I guess.

Spiderman of the Rings is an amazing album, it took me several listens to really get to grips with it as it is so original but when it clicks it is an amazing musical experience.

MP3: The Crystal Cat

Myspace

Antibalas: Security

Afrobeat collective Antibalas' forth album Security expands their previous work to make a fantastic party funk album. Taking classic funk grooves and employing elements of hip hop, reggae and electronic music to create a huge full sound.

Its truely refreshing to hear music so funky and raw yet sounding so modern and fresh, production comes from Tortise cohort John McEntire this gives the music an injection of something completely new, it doesnt sound post rock but you can feel the raw energy that post-rock music encapsulates in their own sound.

MP3: Beaten Metal


By the way ATP was fantastic, there was some great performances I am just waiting to get my photos processed and I will attempt to review it.

ATP build up! part 3 Cornelius

'The Japanese Beck' Cornelius has a truely original electronic sound which im sure will transfer to a live show really well. I have heard on many accounts how amazing Cornelius is live and after watching a few videos on you tube I so excited about seeing Cornelius live. Video screens, live instruments, my god this will be amazing.



Here is a live video of Gum from Cornelius's latest album Sensous and it is a pure feast for the senses.

Biog

Myspace

ATP build up! part 2 The Capricorns

Featuring former members of two huge UK metal acts Orange Goblin and Iron Monkey, the Capricorns make one hell of a noise. Its a good noise, in fact its a chuffing amazing noise.

Taking the stage on Sunday from 10-45 to 11-30 the plenumiate act before Grizzly Bear it should be a real treat. Their latest album ruder forms Survive is one of the best instrumental metal albums I have heard in a long time, superb. I cant wait to see these guys.

Myspace

MP3: 1977- Blood For Papa

Trans Am, Sex Change

I apologise for the sparseness of recent posts on Waxfruit, my recent listening has mostly covered the bands who are playing at ATP next weekend. I cant think of any festival in the world which has a better premise or line up than ATP versus the Fans, I cant wait.

I think to be totally honest any posts that I will make before next Friday will almost certainly be about ATP bands.

The first album that I will look at in this mini ATP build up is the new Trans Am long player Sex Change....

I know this album has got some mixed reviews which did deter me at first from giving t a listen but now I regret not listening to this album months ago, I have a feeling that Trans Am will pan out to be one of my bands of the festival as they much such diverse yet fun to listen to.

I think the fact that Trans Am's music doesn't tend to stay in one place puts off some people, their music covers a lot of bases in a short space of time but that's why I like this album so much. It might sound a bit strange but it almost sounds like the best 80's cop movie soundtrack ever, Jan Hammer and Sonic Youth mixed together, dear god! You know its going to rock like a mother live!

There is something for everyone on this album the albums first couple of songs really encapsulates a electro/kraftwerk sound where later tracks like Shining Path and Triangular Pyramid really rock it up several notches.

If you are a fan of serious post rock or electronic music then its probably best that you stay away from this album as you dont really get the best of either. If you like music with a sense of humour and perhaps a more digestible version of Mirrored by Battles then certainly look Trans Am up.

Its best to put a couple of tracks up on here to really pick up what im saying about how different some of these tracks are, first up is video to 'Consipracy of the gods' worth checking out because its an amazing music video.



You dont get stuff like that on E4 music I tell you what.


MP3: North East Rising Sun

Mtree at the Lark in the Park

Only £5 on the door with live music from...


And his voice became :http://www.myspace.com/ahvb

George Coutsoudis: http://www.myspace.com/georgecoutsoudis

Happy Penguin Hungry Bear: http://www.myspace.com/happypenguinhungrybear

Daz Ringo

The Electric Dolls http://www.myspace.com/electricdollstracks

Doors open at 7.30 see you kids there!

D.A.N.C.E

Forthcoming single from French electro duo Justice, is pure Daft Punk meets Sesame Street. I mean it in the best way possible, this song is sure to be a huge hit this summer and damn right I say. The video is also one of the best I have seen for a while, certainly better than the Justice vs Simian We are Your Friends video and that won awards, to Kanye West's disgust.



Heres the video if you missed it when it happened, the man has an ego the size of Jupiter.