ALBUMS OF 2011 #45 - #41

#45 Crystal Stilts - In Love With Oblivion - Shake The Shackles (MP3)

Brooklyn garage rock at its finest; ‘In Love With Oblivion’ comprises of crisp and courageous, and occasionally gallant post-punk from apparent veterans of the scene Crystal Stilts. The 2011 Slumberland release is afflicted with the dark and incommutable vocals, strange key changes and strikingly full melody. An instant classic of the era it evokes, summed up thematically in the black and white colouration of above album cover.

#44 Grimes / D’eon - Darkbloom Split 12” - Vanessa (MP3)

Grimes is Claire Boucher, a solo electronic artist known for her retro 80s sound, and less so, for her discography of donation only releases via Arbutus Records. This latest EP ‘Darkbloom’, a collaborative split LP with D’eon and his idiosyncratic skittering fusion of percussion and RnB tinged arrangements, is available, albeit digitally, for just £3.95 via Boomkat.

#43 DUDES - Narcissists Anonymous - TURF TALK (SWAG EDIT) (MP3)

Lo-fi recorded and funk-induced (in the sleazy Ariel Pink sense of the word) dance music with muffled vocals and scratchy vocal samples shifting in and out of focus. This is a limited edition cassette tape riddled with cheesy melodies and discordant electronica. DUDES hail from San Diego, and have their tape available on the GrizzlyRecords band camp page over here. The digital release is free.

#42 Dum Dum Girls - Only In Dreams - Coming Down (MP3)

Dum Dum Girls’ Only In Dreams is a far cry from their first effort, originally a parallel to the media crazes centring upon Vivian Girls and Best Coast in 2009. Two years on and with an album and EP under their belt, Dum Dum Girls present an incredibly well produced and matured effort of powerful girl group pop, a personal highlight of mine being the thunderous atrophy of six minute song ‘Coming Down’ - the others being a little more punchy in comparison. Buy here from Sub Pop.

#41 Young Prisms - Friends For Now - Breathless (MP3)

Young Prisms - overwhelming and pungent surf noise with a sunken, almost inaudible vocal buried deep in the mix; the results are expressionless and emotionless songs with a kind of instant appeal which is interesting in and of itself but bereft of any elements which command repeat listening. Noise and punk as an art form which I vividly remember catching at Digital Brighton alongside No Joy and Kanine label-mates Surfer Blood. Available to buy here. 

read the full list / read #40 - #36

[Resonance FM #25] Baklu, Gelatin Kids, Grimes, Elvis Depressedly, Lonesome Ghost, Evenings, Crystal Stilts

This week’s This Music Wins on Resonance FM goes out at 6.30pm (GMT), and features, amongst a sprinkling of top new songs from around the world, the demise of Coma Cinema’s Elvis Depressedly moniker, an increasing trend headed by Rawkblog, We Listen For You and now Turntable Kitchen of creating a monthly vinyl club, and lastly some excellent electronica from Baklu, Gelatin Kids and Grimes. Also the new song from Crystal Stilts’ forthcoming EP Radiant Door.

Listen to Resonance FM

DOWNLOAD: This Music Wins #25 (MP3)

1. Baklu - Dobre Myśli (MP3)
2. Gelatin Kids - #1 Downer Girl (MP3)
3. Grimes - Oblivion (MP3)
4. Elvis Depressedly - Crazier With You (MP3)
5. Lonesome Ghost - Seashell (Link)
6. Evenings - Babe (MP3)
7. Crystal Stilts - Dark Eyes (MP3)

This week’s This Music Wins radio show on Resonance FM features a preview of the new Antlers Record due on Frenchkiss, with a revisit of their 2009 track ‘Kettering’, a song from the upcoming Apparat record due this Summer on his new label, Mute. We’ll also be playing the eighth track from Bibio’s Mind Bokeh album which came out on April 4th in the UK and Europe, entitled K Is For Kelson. The latter half of the show will feature new (week old) songs from experimental dance producer Holy Other, a Keep Shelly in Athens Remix of Body Language’s new single “You Can” - and finally a track from the new Crystal Stilts album In Love With Oblivion, which is currently premiering over at The Hype Machine ahead of its release.

[DOWNLOAD MP3 OF SHOW]

[LISTEN ON RESONANCE FM SATURDAY @ 6.30]

1. The Antlers - Kettering (MP3) (stream ‘Parentheses’)

2. Apparat - Ash/ Black Veil (MP3)

3. Bibio - K Is For Kelson (MP3)

4. Holy Other - Touch (MP3)

5. Body Language - You Can (Keep Shelly In Athens Remix) (MP3)

6. Crystal Stilts - Shake The Shackles (MP3)