Monthly Archive for June, 2009

oxymoron alert:joyful moaning?

Currently on repeat for the 11th time, I just had to recommend this brilliant album to those out there who haven’t heard it yet. And because Adrian and I both had Joy Formidable songs (2 different ones at that!) on our June playlists, it definitely says something about this little gem of an album.

Despite having only 8 songs (5 already available for download, all 8 for streaming on myspace) on their debut, A Balloon named Moaning was sold out during the online pre-sales; this and between making it a freedownload on NME’s music blog. Radiohead started the whole free-download-or-pay-how-much-you-think-it-is-worth thing and so many bands have caught on since. Fighting piracy with a little guilt trip, perhaps?

The Joy Formidable are a 3-piece band, originally out of North Wales, but currently residing in London. They are catchy, poppy and rocky, all at the same time. I’d like to classify them as punkpop or dreampunk, since someone classified them as dreampop. The band consists of nothing less than: Rhydian - Bass/Vox, Ritzy - Guitar/Vox, Justin - Drums/Vox.

The JF has 2 singles to date; they have put out their second single “Cradle” on February 2nd of this year, and their previous single, “Austere”, which was released during the summer of 2008, had its video banned from youtube because it features people’s faces as though they were masturbating (you can still watch it on the official website :)).  “Cradle” takes that same epic pop sound that TJF create so well and cranks it to another level.  But IMHO, even the other 6 songs are good enough to be released as singles. And since they have offered free downloads, we’re not gonna be giving you samples to listen this time round.

Links —> myspace | joyformidable.com | Freedownload! (just give them your e-mail address and you can download 5 of their songs)

some music for your sunday

hello! here’re some vids of tracks from our June’s playlist/charts to while away your lazy sunday. Enjoy the vids, and good luck with your hangover!


Bat for Lashes - Use Somebody


Hearts Revolution - The Rose and Her Prince


The Horrors - Sea with a Sea


Manic Street Preachers - Jackie Collins Existential Question Time


The Killers - Spaceman


Royksopp - Happy Up Here


Fever Ray - If I had a Heart


Tori Amos - Maybe California


Tiga - Shoes


Mando Diao - Dance With Somebody

a new logo, a new beginning?

poptartlogonew-fullcolour

hello! you are looking at the brand new eatmepoptart logo.

I bet that it looks good on the dancefloor…and on a T-shirt ;)

pics from Poptart at FASH - Sat 6 Jun 09

another mad outing! and we got the pics to prove it.

AR 2009-020 i wish this moment here forever

Heya. If you missed out on the CD giveaways during the last Poptart party, we’ve posted the mix up on Abstract Relations! And for those who got it as were asking me about the tracklist, here it is!

Abstract Relations 2009-020
Mixed by Adrian Wee (weelikeme)

playlist:
Bloc Party - The Pioneers
The Killers - Spaceman
FRanz Ferdinand - Michael
Blood Red Shoes - It’s Getting Boring By The Sea (Blamma Blamma Remix)
Kinds Of Leon - Sex On Fire
The Clash - All The Young Punks (New Boots and Contracts)
Smashing Pumpkins - Today
The Hives - Try It Again
Arctic Monkeys - Brainstorm
The Strokes - Barely Legal
Primal Scream - Can’t Go Back
Kaiser Chiefs - Never Miss A Beat
Boy Kill boy - Suzie
The Wombats - Kill The Director (CSS Remix)
Nirvana - Stay Away
Honeyhoney - Little Toy Gun
M83 - Teen Angst
Dirty Pretty Things - Bang Bang You’re Dead
Sons and Daughters - This Gift
Pulp - Babies

Head over to Abstract Relations to grab the mix!

Charts & Playlist for June 09

Ello. Our ears are still buzzing from the fantastic weekend we had!

Here are our charts & playlist for June 09!

JAH
Tori Amos - Maybe California
Au Revoir Simone - Knight of Wands
Bat For Lashes - Use Somebody (Kings of Leon cover)
Dinosaur Jr - Over it
Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy
Heartsrevolution - The Rose and Her Prince
Lykke Li vs Kings of Leon - Knocked up
Passion Pit - Moths Wings
Patrick Wolf - Who Will (Buffetlibre mix)
Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johannson - Relator

JINMART
Tiga - Shoes
Passion Pit - The Reeling
Metric - Gold guns and Girls
The Joy Formidable - The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade
Lily Allen - Not Fair
Red Light Company - The Alarmo
Royksopp - Happy Up Here
Fever Ray - If I had a Heart
National Skyline - Revenge
Au Revoir Simone - Shadows (the Teenagers remix)

WEELIKEME
Florence and the Machine - Dog Days are Over
Doves - Kingdom of Rust
The Joy Formiddable - Cradle
The Killers - Spaceman
Phoenix - Lisztomania
Manic Street Preachers - Jackie Collins Existential Question Time
The Horrors - Sea with a Sea
A-ha - Take On Me (The Twelves Remix)
Kasabian - Underdog
Mando Diao - Dance With Somebody

Where are your Manners, boy?

Formed in late 2007, 5 barely-legal guys from Cambridge, Massachusettes, have brought to the table yet another electronic-synth-indie-pop offering called Passion Pit. You must be wondering, when is this trend going to stop/how long more of this going to continue? Not anytime soon I reckon. BUT, my advice to you is, “if you can’t beat em’, join ‘em!”

Thankfully, the Pits make that bitter medicine easy to swallow. Or rather, quite enjoyable, really. On the first listen, they sound very much like a mish-mash of Chromeo and MGMT. Michael Angelakos’ eunuch-isque vocals sound very much like Andrew VanWyngarden’s. Coming off a rather so-so debut EP, Chunk of Change, Manners is very much a more accomplished effort:

The Reeling’s intro sounds very Big Beat-ish in a Chemical Brothers kind of way. It then breaks into a disco-indie rhythm, packed with loads of beautifully-layered synths. Not forgetting the extremely catchy singalong, feet-tapping chorus, of course.

“Look at me, oh look at me

Is this the way I’ve always been

Oh no, oh

noanekatips

Now I’m dreaming somebody

Would simply come and kidnap me

Oh no, oh no

Everyday I lie awake and pray to God today’s the day

Oh no, oh no

Here I am, and here I am, when will someone understand

Oh no, oh no”

Another favourite track of mine, ‘Little Secrets’, sound like a Jackson 5 song infused with synths and a modern beat (As Pitchfork puts it, it sounds like D.A.N.C.E.). On a side note, I was quite pleasantly surprised that the stingy folk at Pitchfork actually gave Manners a 8.1 out of 10 rating. Not bad for a debut eh?

The Reeling Video


Myspace

Passionpitdotcom

The Reeling - Passion Pit

Let your Love Grow Tall - Passion Pit