Breaking More Waves

Changes At BBC Radio 1 - Some Thoughts

2012-03-01T08:30:00.000Z

Back in the early 90’s BBC Radio 1 faced heavy criticism from the government, the media and private sector radio. The reason? As a public service youth station it was failing badly, having become a bloated and fat joke. It’s audience profile was greater amongst 30-45 year olds who had grown up with the station than it was with younger listeners.The station's established presenters such as Dave Lee Travis, Simon Bates, Bruno Brookes and Gary Davies weren’t connecting with their target youth audience and the station was considered a dinosaur.

Enter new controller Matthew Bannister who very quickly began a hatchet job on the stations “Smashie and Nicey” DJ culture to bring in new, younger talent. Bates, Davies, Brookes and Travis (who resigned on air with his infamous “There are changes being made at the station that go against my principles" speech) were soon all out and the new guard were in. The music aired also began to change – The Golden Hour (an hour of ‘oldies’ every day) was booted into touch and Status Quo found that their songs were no longer played on the station. Believe it or not Quo challenged this (unsuccessfully) in the courts.

Not all of Bannister’s new charges (a number of whom transferred from GLR radio) were a success. Emma Freud, Danny Baker and Kevin Greening were all talented broadcasters but didn’t bring in a new audience. In fact Bannister found Radio 1’s figures dropping to below 10 million as listeners departed to Radio 2 and independent commercial radio. But with the cull in presenters and audience Bannister set the direction for the future of Radio 1. This was a radio station that didn’t trade on nostalgia,that constantly re-invented itself and defined its status by broadcasting to a younger audience.

Since Bannister’s departure the man steering the ship has been Andy Parfitt. Parfitt has successfully rebuilt the stations audience (up to an average weekly reach of just over 11.5 million) and yet with this build the average age of its listener has also gone up to over 30. It’s flagship breakfast show DJ is Chris Moyles (age 37) who has a style of presentation that harks backs to old school Radio 1 and unsurprisingly attracts a large number of listeners age 45-54 and he’s brought back The Golden Hour. Likewise many of the stations other DJ’s are in their mid 30’s (Scott Mills, Edith Bowman, Sara Cox, Zane Lowe).

Once again Radio 1 (via the BBC Radio Trust) has been tasked with targeting a younger audience and a new controller Ben Cooper, age 42 has been employed to do this. The question is how does he achieve it? Is a spectacular cull of DJ’s on the horizon like the Bannister era? Possibly not so – the recently announced swap between Scott Mills and Greg James with Mills soon to occupy the early rather than late afternoon slot shows that Radio 1’s strategy may be more of evolution rather than revolution this time round. When Bannister took over in the 90’s the likes of the elderly John Peel survived the clean sweep by his ability to embrace new forms of pop music, many of today’s Radio 1 DJ’s shows have a greater degree of mainstream relevance in the same way that Peel had underground relevance. However, despite his popularity Moyles time must surely be coming to an end at the helm of the station, but a huge cull seems unlikely.

Instead controller Cooper has already signalled his intention to attract new younger listeners by embracing new formats – smartphone, ipad and IPTV listening for example rather than traditional radios. Maybe as pop music reaches middle age (where very few ideas are original any more) the age of a radio show presenter is less important. Maybe it’s the medium the show is delivered on, the music, the content and the authenticity / ability of the presenter to connect with a younger demographic than a presenters actual age that will define the Radio 1 of the future?

Or despite whatever they do, Radio 1 will never be able to fully shake off their older audience – because maybe, just maybe there’s a group of ‘grey-pound’ oldies out there who find it impossible to lose interest in new music, are interested and not fearful of youth culture (something that maybe their parents were) and can also afford to embrace technology such as smartphones and ipads even easier than teenagers can.

In the 60’s, 70’s and 80's pop music was seen as an art form that alienated older generations, But the teenagers of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s have now lived through numerous changes in fashion and style of pop music and have grown used to the idea of embracing change and the new. They’ve lived through punk, new-romantic, acid house and the birth of hip-hop. The likes of both the mainstream and the underground no longer surprise them, but simply remind them of music of the past.

Radio 1 will be set goals of becoming more relevant to the youth market, but may find that mum and dad and the kids are increasingly interested in the same things. Unless the station is going to be broadcasting Teletubbies LP’s, pop music and pop music radio is increasingly becoming for any age – something which the BBC Radio Trust may have missed and not fully understood.

Here's the aforementioned Moyles plus Tim Westwood (aged over 50) who still presents to a very young audience on Radio 1 Extra. Are their days numbered ?

The Staves - The Motherlode

2012-02-29T08:30:00.000Z

There’s been a lot of commentary on blogs, websites and in the traditional rock press over the last few months about the so called death of indie rock. Certainly the format of ‘four skinny lads in jeans with guitars against the world’ has stalled commercially in terms of record sales and arguably creatively as well.

Depending on your perspective the lack of indie rock within the UK singles charts is either the signal for the hammering of the nails in the coffin lid, a momentary pause whilst the wheels of fashion turn, or it’s still doing the business just in different ways. It certainly gives us all something to write about. Music journo types, like any other, love a sensationalist headline and if they can get ‘Indie R.I.P’ across their pages then why not? It might generate some hits / readers.

We’d like to propose a different theory though. It is one of tradition. Guitar based indie rock music has been around for a while now. In fact it’s reached middle age. The possibility of the excitement caused by true originality has faded as new ideas become foggier and harder to find for new indie bands. Most of them have been used before; everything references something else.

Indie will now just slowly evolve in the same way as an older form of traditional music - folk - has. Maybe indie rock will even become the new folk music? As long as people continue to practice the traditions, it won’t die. It may not innovate anymore, it may not blaze up the pop charts, but it will still be there, for those who want to play, perform and participate in it.

That ladies and gentlemen of the Breaking More Waves blog readership is our theory. Which brings us neatly to The Staves; a band rooted in the tradition of acoustic folk music. They may not be 100% original or innovative in what they do, but these three sisters from Watford are blessed with such wonderful harmonies and hush-the-room melodies that they fully justify why tradition is hugely important in music. When it envelops the emotions with such warmth it would be wrong to have it any other way.

Fresh from supporting Michael Kiwanuka on his UK tour, The Staves are due to release their new EP (their second) at the start of April and follow it up with their own headline tour (see here for dates and grab 2 free downloads whilst you're at it). Listen to the title track from the EP Motherlode below, be washed along with their angelic voices and understand why we named them as one of our Ones To Watch 2012 last December.

The Staves - The Motherlode

Elliphant - In The Jungle (Video)

2012-02-27T08:30:00.000Z

We tweeted about this video yesterday and the early adopters amongst you will already be very familiar with the song - maybe from this blog post. (We use the word song with some caution – it’s more a deranged piece of abstract rhythmic expression overlain with push the button power).

And what’s not to like about visuals that feature shopping trolleys, psycho santas, electric bananas, off the wall children of rave and rather like Lana Del Rey’s Born To Die – a tiger? There’s something just a little anarchic about it and we like it a lot. We’re watching and waiting for whatever comes next. Enjoy In The Jungle by Elliphant.

Elliphant - In The Jungle (Video)

D/R/U/G/S - One Thousand Faces

2012-02-25T08:30:00.000Z

Dancing is all about sex, right? All that thrusting and pumping of the hips, grinding up and down against one another, it’s the start of foreplay isn’t it?

Not in every case it’s not. Despite its name, the trippy pilled-up second summer of love didn’t involve huge amounts of sex. In fact Acid House and much of the music that came from that scene wasn’t about getting it on at all. The hedonistic come together communities that formed under the banner of illegal raves and warehouse parties in the late 80’s were all about expressing yourself through dancing rather than sex. The 120 BPM pulses were designed to move your body in your own tranquil higher state space rather than with someone else. You were part of something but very much on your own as well.

One Thousand Faces by D/R/U/G/S sounds exactly like that state. It’s music for bonding with strangers, lost in some mystical trance like state on the dance floor amongst the lemonade fog. This is the sound of halcyon + on + on. Get lost in it.

D/R/U/G/S - One Thousand Faces

Emily & The Woods - It Was Right There ( Watch Listen Tell Video)

2012-02-24T08:30:00.000Z

Ah Emily & The Woods. The sweet sounds of Emily & The Woods. We could quite easily listen to nothing else until the day we die.

OK, this is probably a case of marginal over-exaggeration, because as much affection as we have for the music of Emily & The Woods you really can have too much of a good thing- the appetite will eventually sicken and die. However, since posting the video of Steal His Heart in April last year on the blog it’s clocked up over half a million views on You Tube so certainly somebody shares our hungry love. We’re all getting fat on a diet of Emily.

So for those who share the appreciation, here’s a new video recently filmed for Watch Listen Tell. The song is called It Was Right There and was shot adjacent the River Thames. And yes, just for completeness there are some woods in the background. And a man walking a dog. We’re not sure if the man or his dog are meant to be there, but if Lana Del Rey can have a man and tigers in her video why can’t Emily have a man and a dog. It makes a lot of sense.

So here it is, Emily & The Woods & A Man & A Dog. The full ensemble. They're all right there.

Emily & The Woods - It Was Right There

CVPPRRNSPYDH

Pepper - Happy Girl (Unplugged) / Running Rings (Unplugged) / Wish It Away

2012-02-22T08:30:00.001Z

‘The new urban Adele’ is the tag line that seems to be rapidly attaching itself to Pepper. It’s not a bad tag to have – certainly better than ‘the new disco Cheeky Girls’ or ‘the new indie Rebecca Black’ – but one that we’ve seen appearing a number of times on our twitter feed the last few days as people get to know her name by way of a support slot on the current Rizzle Kicks tour. With no disrespect to Pepper but such is the all consuming ubiquitous presence of Brit award champion Adele that any female vocalist with a gutsy voice who isn't writhing around half naked in her videos is at risk of getting the Adele comparison.

Of course you already know Pepper's name don’t you? Because you spend every waking moment of your life glued to the internet just waiting for that next post from Breaking More Waves. And if there was an exam about this blog and the test paper asked you when we first mentioned Pepper you would correctly answer that it was on November 21stand that we then subsequently featured her on the 14th January and the 17th January. Good, well done, get a gold star and go to the top of the class.

If not, we’re disappointed in you, but there’s still hope – teacher is putting on some extra after school classes to get you up to speed. Today we’re featuring two new stripped down live Pepper tracks – Happy Girl and Running Rings (don't expect the final versions of the songs to necessarily sound anything like these, they're just tasters), plus for those who failed the exam this time, catch up on the fully loaded and previously featured collision of jungle and strings mayhem that was Pepper’s arrival track Wish It Away.

Pepper - Wish It Away

Pepper - Happy Girl (Live - Unplugged )

Pepper - Running Rings (Live - Unplugged )

No Ceremony/// - Heartbreaker

2012-02-21T20:30:00.000Z

As this post goes up onto the internet, if you're in the UK you’re probably either :

1. Sitting watching TV moaning (and most likely tweeting) about how rubbish the Brits are.

2. Sitting somewhere else moaning how you really couldn’t care less about the Brits.

3. Sitting somewhere not even knowing the Brits are on the TV right now.

Or you could be like us and just enjoy watching the Brits as a piece of TV entertainment, one of the only times you'll get to see performances by more than one artist on a peak time TV show that isn't the X-Factor. You might even not be getting angry or moaning and accepting the fact that not everyone thinks the same way as you do. *EDIT @ 22.45 - Unfortunately after the Brits we did have a little moan on twitter about Adele's thank you speech getting cut off and Blur's set being partly moved to ITV2 and may have even used the words 'piss poor production' on twitter. We're sorry. We let our side down. But we're still not going to moan about the music. Sure we didn't like some of it, yet some we did, but the point is you don't watch the Brits to like all the music. Go to a gig or buy a record if you want to do that.

Here's an analogy, we quite often (in fact nearly always) fancy pale skinned, freckled, ginger or dark haired arty girls that have Scots or Irish accents. But not everyone does. And you probably don’t get angry about the fact that we do. So if you don’t like Adele or whoever wins an award – calm down - everyone has different taste and criteria.

However, whatever you’re doing you might also like to hear some new music – after all that’s why you’re reading this blog. That’s what we do.

So here’s the new single from No Ceremony /// which is called Heartbreaker. According to the PR blurb it contains the guitar talents of The Pixies' Joey Santiago, although frankly it could be anyone. Heartbreaker makes a significant step forward for the band / artist. Whilst the song retains the sense of menacing brooding atmospherics combined with screwed up vocals that Deliverus and Hurtlove owned, this time the pianocore chimes are replaced by dirty squelchy electronic bassy sounds. It’s never going to challenge the likes of Ed Sheeran, Jessie J or Adele for awards, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t damn good.

No Ceremony/// - Heartbreaker

Meg Myers - New Waves

2012-02-20T08:30:00.001Z

Today we introduce Los Angeles dwelling Meg Myers. She’s a bit emo, a bit rock, a bit pop, a bit raw, a bit edgy and pretty damn passionate. Oh, and she’s a bit good as well. Anything we tag as ‘a bit emo’ we normally steer clear well clear of, but there’s something about Meg Myers that we really like.

We can imagine every single one of Meg’s songs that we’ve heard (there’s four of them on Soundcloud available for free download right now) sitting very comfortably on a soundtrack to the latest teen Vampire flick. Her song Monster is the perfect example. "I got to know I’m the only one for you, what have I become, I’m a fucking monster, when all I wanted was something beautiful," she sings perfectly capturing that mixture of darkness, romance and inner turmoil that is essential to such films and their audience. Teenage love / lust can also be a pretty obsessive thing and Myers certainly sounds like some sort of stalker on the brooding After You "I'm falling in deep, do you know my love is after you." Then there's this short video she shot where she get's the knives out for love. If a woman did this whilst you were in the room, you'd probably feel a little uncomfortable, irrespective of if she means it or is just playing at being a bit kooky-mental.

At different points of listening to Myers we’re reminded of Courtney Love, Avril Lavigne, The Cranberries, Paramore, Sinead O’Connor, PJ Harvey and for just a fleeting second Suzi Quatro. There's some yelping, some rocking, some ghostly cello (on Monster), some Kate Bush piano (on Adelaide) and plenty of moonlit angst for us to enjoy in an ominous way throughout these songs.

We imagine that probably Meg doesn’t flounce round in short skirts and doesn’t care for fake tan, especially as there's videos of her on You Tube playing with toy soldiers, creating battles between spiders and helicopters and with an animated Barbie in a wheelchair. What we do know is that even although emo-pop isn’t the type of sound we’d usually cover on Breaking More Waves, Meg Myers is doing it very well to the point where not posting about it is not an option. We’re not sure who first stated that there were only two types of music, good music and bad music; but whoever it was, we’re putting this very much in the good box.

Meg Myers - Adelaide

Meg Myers - Poison

Meg Myers - After You

Meg Myers - Monster (Video)

The Saturday Surf #31

2012-02-18T08:30:00.000Z

This post represents a slight slowdown in the output of Breaking More Waves over the next few weeks, and the last Saturday Surf until mid March. We try to post once or twice each day to give regular visitors something new to read and listen to, but with the vast majority of the content being created by a sole author sometimes real world / life commitments get in the way and mean that time is a scarce resource. In the next few weeks that resource is even more restricted than usual.

So for just a short while we’ll be reducing our output to about 3 posts a week, before ramping it back up come the middle of March.

In the meantime here’s a round-up of tracks that we caught this week that missed out on a full blog post – and they’re all top-notch.

Elliphant – In The Jungle

To use a bloggers cliché this one dropped in to our in box yesterday and has been gyrating around our ears and twitching our brain all day. Hailing from Stockholm, Elliphant are a brand new act associated with Ten - a music production company who also have worked with fellow Swedish acts Icona Pop and Niki and the Dove. Imagine The Ying Tong Song by The Goons colliding with some turbo-rave rhythms, M.I.A and a bit of Eye of the Tiger by Survivor with some overly (but brilliantly) long electronic caps over the top to spark it all off. It’s stupid, but in all the right ways and if we had a song of the week award this would be it. Bonkers but bloody brilliant.

Substatic – Arcadia

Last week one of our blog buddies and possibly the finest electronic music blogger in the UK (Electronic Rumours) put on a fantastic show at 93 Feet East in London with a whole host of Breaking More Waves approved acts including Queen Of Hearts, Kid Kasio, a Ronika DJ set and this lot – Substatic who shook it up like an earthquake with a set of hedonistic, dirty, funky, bassy electro tunes. Here's a new one - it's called Arcadia. Warning this track comes with a 'may cause dancing like a certificate 18 sexy copulating robot' sign. Extra marks are awarded for including a picture of Arcadia's spider stage on the picture of the Soundcloud player - if the song is a tribute to that place then it certainly has the right late night festival vibe.

Summer Camp – Losing My Mind (St Etienne Remix)

Summer Camp’s 2011 album Welcome To Condale was a surprising triumph. Fundamentally it was a pop album that people that sneer at pop music could like, if that makes any sense. With St Etienne (one of the best pop bands ever – fact) gearing up for their umpteenth album release this year (that is to say their first album this year but their umpteenth in their history) they put their name to this remix, that surprisingly isn’t as pop as you would expect – in fact it takes a darker route to the heart. But it works.

That’s it for now, we’ll be putting the brakes on from next week (but not stopping fully and our twitter will still be pretty active so follow us there). Have a good weekend and we'll be back in a few days.

Cold Specks - Holland (Video)

2012-02-17T09:30:00.000Z

Cold Specks lit up many new music blogs last year with a masterly song called Holland, her rich weightily restrained soulful vocal providing one of those stop you in your tracks moments. We featured the track on Breaking More Waves although probably didn’t do Cold Specks the justice she deserved, lumping the stream of the song into one of our Saturday Surf features rather than give it its own post.

So now is time to make amends as the song surfaces again with a new video; and what a video. It takes a simple idea (aren’t they so often the best ones ?) of a split screen showing a series of complimentary but sometimes conflicting images that match the songs mood perfectly. There seem to be some underlying themes of destruction, beauty, nature, life, death and power running through it.

Cold Specks has recently announced that she has signed a record deal with Mute records and an album entitled I Predict A Graceful Explosion will be due near the end of May. A number of UK shows follow in the next few days (check her website on the link above for info)

Cold Specks - Holland (Video)

Seeker Lover Keeper - Even Though I'm A Woman (Video)

2012-02-17T08:30:00.000Z

Sarah Blasko featured on Breaking More Waves in 2010.Now she returns, alongside two singer songwriter friends Sally Seltmann and Holly Throsby with her project Seeker Lover Keeper and the single Even Though I’m A Woman.

Yesterday we published an article on how being the first to post something was sometimes important as a new music blog. Today we’re being completely contrary; this song was originally uploaded on You Tube May 19 2011 and has received over 250,000 hits so far. So. On. The. Case.

In our defence Even Though I’m A Woman only gets a release in UK and Europe on April 2nd this year, so as far as we’re concerned, although the internet’s global the physical placement of the record is local and as such is ‘new’.

With a piano refrain not dissimilar to something Regina Spektor might produce, this song twists the concepts of love with the singer preferring the idea of missing someone more than being in love with the person themselves. “I think I was born to be in a state of longing, born to be wanting.” There’s a further twist with the video, which although Seeker Lover Keeper is three women, features a man mouthing the lyrics and apparently romanticising the idea of the one he misses. Will he phone her and destroy his fantasy or not?

Seeker Lover Keeper - Even Though I'm A Woman (Video)

Alpines - Gold

2012-02-16T08:30:00.000Z

This blog post is about a new song called Gold by Alpines, but it’s also about part of the Breaking More Waves philosophy on new music blogging. If you’re not interested in the latter then just skip the next few paragraphs and just press play at the bottom.

Back in 2010 Breaking More Waves first featured the dark pop duo Alpines and some demos that they had put online. We were one of the first to do so (according to Hype Machine). Now being the first may not be the most essential characteristic for a music blog (we believe being entertaining, knowledgeable and having a personality that people want to engage with are just as crucial), but if the blog's objective is to focus mainly on new music it still must be reasonably important. After all who wants to look and listen to a new music blog where you’ve already heard all of the content it features?

This is why at Breaking More Waves we take a certain amount of pride in sometimes being ‘the first’ to feature something, as well as being pleased as punch when the artist then goes on to have popular appeal. Particularly as we're not an industry or label blog and therefore don't have the multitude of contacts or connections that tend to feed those sorts of blogs. When we hear something we like its only natural to want others to like it as well – that’s why we write a blog. When the artist that you’ve spotted and supported at an early stage has success it’s a nice feeling. Over the last year Breaking More Waves was, purely through accidental discovery, the first Hype Machine listed blogger to post Video Games by Lana Del Rey (leading to a huge number of hits and internet traffic towards the blog once the PR machine and ‘big blogs’ got started) and have in the past been very early on the likes of Marina and the Diamonds (back in 2008 on the back of a self released demo CD we picked up in a record store), Rizzle Kicks and Ellie Goulding who have all become popular in our own country. Of course for every soon-to-be-popular artist that we feature ahead of time there are a dozen that vanish without trace. That’s the nature of pop music – if you dig enough mines you’ll hit gold at some point but you’ll also find a lot of worthless rock. Anyone remember Tinashe or Skint & Demoralised ?

Of course we never post something just because we think it will be popular – we post it because it’s aroused our interest. Sometimes we’re fully aware that the artist has no chance of ever winning a Brit Award or Grammy – but we like their material so we post all the same and hope that someone out there feels the same way we do.

Which brings us back to Alpines. We favour what they do. We called it ‘dusk pop’ rather than the more commonly used ‘night pop’ back in 2010 and also described it as ‘cinematic, mountainous and crafted with careful sonic consideration’. We still 100% agree with those statements. Since then we’ve seen them play a number of times including a brilliantly bewitching shadowy set in a church (pictured above). They haven’t as yet found any mainstream popularity and maybe they won’t, but that doesn’t stop us enjoying them. Here’s their new song – Gold – a collaboration with Craze + Hoax who have also worked with Emeli Sandé. We’re not the first to post it, but likewise we don’t possess the indie snobbery not to post something just because other sites have already featured it. Ultimately it’s all about promoting the music we like - this is fan journalism.

Alpines - Gold

Jessie Ware - Running

2012-02-15T16:30:00.000Z

The hardened cynic could argue that whoever is working with Jessie Ware is almost trying too hard to gain her some sort of leftfield indie / club credibility when really her music sits more in the coffee table Brit-soul camp previously occupied by the likes of Shara Nelson, Sade, or Lisa Stansfield. There’s been a slow building buzz about Ware for some time now, through from performing backing vocals for Jack Penate and Man Like Me, to working with the likes of SBTRKT, Joker and Sampha (you may remember us posting Sampha and Jessie’s collaboration Valentine almost 1 year to the day here) and finding her music on all the ‘right’ blogs and sites such as Abeano and The Fader.

So when Ware revealed her video for her new solo single Running earlier today, the follow up to debut single proper Strange Feeling (which we posted here), it came as absolutely no surprise to find a whole bunch of blogs (which we’d loosely describe as the buzz blogs) eager to post the track just as fast as they could, caught up in the maelstrom of hype that has been gradually created.

Now if all this sounds rather cynical then surely the question you have to ask is ‘so why is Breaking More Waves posting the track?’

It’s really for one simple reason. We like Running. It reminds us a little of Soul II Soul and the aforementioned Shara Nelson, both of whom we like, coffee table worthy or not. We are particularly enamored with the late night downtempo production on the record and the way that Ware’s vocal is sexily sophisticated - the complete antithesis to some of the current crop of loudmouth wannabes such as Azealia Banks and Ke$ha. It’s nice to have a bit of class in music. Running is smooth and highly pleasurable and irrespective of blog buzz that will do for us.

Jessie Ware - Running

Jessie Ware - Running (Video)

The Milk - Broke Up The Family

2012-02-15T13:30:00.000Z

Trust us there really is more to Essex that TOWIE. For a start there’s The Milk.

Employing a heavy stab of 60’s r ‘n’ b and soul influence that the group are known for and taking a dash of their fearsome live sound to the studio, the band return with a new single Broke Up The Family, released on April 2. If the song title seems familiar it’s because we featured the video in December, although at the time we didn’t realise it was going to be a future single. We’ve included it again on this post so you can get a full feel for it.

The Milk have become Breaking More Waves blog regulars from back in 2010 when we first featured them as a new wave and then named them as ones to watch in 2011 (a little early in hindsight). Now we’re pleased to announce that the four piece have been recording and mixing their debut album with DJ and remixer Brad Baloo (The Nextmen). The as yet untitled body of work will see a release later this year.

In the meantime here’s one of two remixes that are floating round the internet at the moment. The Hostage vs Rack N Ruin version you can hear here, but we’re streaming the Kenny Ken’s version which manages to combine a reggae groove, jungle beats, rave airhorns and piano swipes. That's pretty mental.

The Milk are without doubt one of the best new live bands we’ve seen out on the road in the last couple of years and if you’re in the UK, you should be able to check them out in a venue near you as they set off on a huge tour through March and April (dates are here). We will be and consider it a crime for you not to. Beg, borrow or sell your boyfriend / girlfriend to see this band. It's a necessity.

The Milk - Broke Up The Family (Kenny Ken's #junglememories Remix)

The Milk - Broke Up The Family (Video)

Golden Fable - New Waves

2012-02-15T08:30:00.001Z

The first thing to strike you about Golden Fable will be the cherubic female vocals. When people use that well-worn phrase sonic cathedral of sound they’re usually referring to some sort of transcendent post-rock noise, but in this case we’re talking about singing of the celestial kind; high floating frequencies are the order of the day. That’s not to say that we expect to see this new duo from North Wales gigging only in religious establishments. In fact their forthcoming tour visits a number of unassuming venues such as Northampton Labour Club and Telford Warehouse. We’ve never visited either but certainly the names of the venues doesn't inspire visions of grandeur or holiness.

But just because Golden Fable aren’t playing The Albert Hall doesn’t mean that you, like us, can’t fall a little bit in love with them. Their music has a wistful folk-tinged tone punctuated by beats, piano, electronics and layered guitars. Let’s label it folktronica, we haven’t done that for a while. But this is not folktronica in the way that we once labelled Ellie Goulding as folktronica (she was the chart-pop kind) or James Yuill (he was the melodic-club-banger kind). This is ethereal, gauzy, spectral folktonica that’s as much about atmosphere as it is about melody – although the melodies are present, correct and rather lovely.

Like many a band, Tim McIver and Becca Palin who form the two parts of Golden Fable have a past. They are members of the jumble of a mouthful group Tim and Sam's Tim and the Sam Band with Tim and Sam (you may remember their album Life Stream). We also wonder if Becca has a secret identity in a dark indie-electronic pop band. Take a close look at her, particularly when she sports false eyelashes and you might think she bears a remarkable resemblance to Sarah McIntosh of The Good Natured?

Golden Fable have already released one single – The Chill Part 2 (video below) and follow it up on March 5th with Always Golden. Their enigmatic sound is uncannily weird and beautiful at the same time. Take a listen.

Golden Fable - Always Golden

Golden Fable - The Chill Part 2 (Video)

Admiral Fallow - Beetle In The Box

2012-02-14T20:30:00.001Z

Admiral Fallow’s debut album Boots Met My Face was a wonderfully evocative piece of work that found favour with many critics and continues to worm its way onto the Breaking More Waves stereo. Yesterday marked the Scottish band’s return to the fold with a new single. Beetle In The Box is taken from the forthcoming album Tree Bursts In The Snow which is due 21stMay through Nettwerk. The album was recorded and mixed by Paul Savage at Glasgow’s Chem 19 (Mogwai, King Creosote) and mastered by Greg Calbi (Bon Iver, The National, Battles) at Sterling Sound New York.

We could listen to the warming vocal dialect of front man Louis all day; there’s something about his voice that just wraps you into the words he sings. Add to it the chugging guitars, female harmonies and folk rock tunefulness and Beetle In The Box provides a very solid start for the band's new material.

You’ll be able to hear songs from the new record throughout April and May as the band set off on a huge UK tour with plenty of Scottish shows, but alas for those in Breaking More Waves neck of the woods no south central Portsmouth / Brighton / Southampton date appears to have been scheduled. Sad faces all round on that one.

However the good news is that you can grab this single which we’re streaming below,for free, from the Admiral Fallow website. Use this link to get to the site and grab that download and check the tour dates.

Admiral Fallow - Beetle In The Box

Gabrielle Aplin - Romeo Must Die

2012-02-14T08:30:00.000Z

It's Valentine's day today and as we promised on Saturday this blog will be free from Valentine songs, or at least the sugary sweet ones. Instead we have a tune with an unromantic sentiment from the adorable Gabrielle Aplin.

2012 is shaping up very nicely indeed for Gabrielle following the iTunes chart success of her Home EP. Last night she supported Gotye at the fantastically decrepit and atmospheric Wilton’s Music Hall in London (which has just received a £700,000 funding boost to help conserve and protect the last surviving Grand Music Hall in the world) and has her own upcoming tour, a number of dates of which have now sold out. She has also been confirmed for two of Breaking More Waves favourite festivals - Camp Bestival and Bestival 2012.

The Home EP was originally just available on iTunes but has now been released on a variety of other online stores including Amazon and Napster. Gabrielle is also streaming the whole EP on Soundcloud, whereas previously just the title track was available. To celebrate this we’re featuring another track from the EP below. Romeo Must Die shows a different side to Aplin from Home. If you thought that Home was too sweet and delicate for your tastes then you might prefer Romeo Must Die – bolstered with a full band this break up song finds Aplin firmly closing the door on a relationship. “For you and I are past our dancing days,” she sings. “I don’t have time to watch you cry, for Romeo must die.” Ouch. Boys you’ve been warned – Gabrielle appears to be no pushover as a girlfriend.

Whatever your situation today, be it in a romantic couple, new mismatched lovers who can't agree on how you approach Valentine's day or single and on your own - remember that nothing lasts forever. So enjoy what you have whilst it lasts, whatever it is.

Gabrielle Aplin - Romeo Must Die

Ren Harvieu - Forever In Blue (Tara Busch Analog Suicide Remix)

2012-02-13T20:30:00.000Z

If you’re a fan of Ren Harvieu’s gorgeous torch-songs the word remix probably fills you with a degree of trepidation; after all isn’t this the sort of music that is best left untouched – it's like putting make up on a naturally beautiful face?

The answer is that by applying the make-up you create something different. It’s not a case of improving the original, but altering perceptions.

So what we have here is something far more experimental, electronic and foreboding sounding. The evil robots have infiltrated Ren’s nostalgic world. It’s probably not even make up that’s been applied here, more of a harsh demonic mask. Purists will be horrified, but those of us who like dirty haunted pylon electronica as much as we like sultry orchestrated nostalgic ballads will be delighted.

Ren Harvieu has found herself on a number of ones to watch lists at the start of this year including the BBC Sound of 2012, The Guardian critics pop picks and our very own Breaking More Waves Ones To Watch 2012. The debut album released on April 23 will probably be a far less dangerous affair than this remix, but for now prepared to be destroyed by this Tara Busch Analog Suicide remix of Forever In Blue.

Ren Harvieu - Forever In Blue (Tara Busch Analog Suicide Remix)

Sylver Tongue - New Waves

2012-02-13T08:30:00.000Z

The name Sylver Tongue sounds like a character out of a fantasy or sci-fi novel but this lady is very much a reality, having launched herself as an artist a couple of months ago. Her debut track Hook You Up possesses sad spacey retro synths straight out of an 80’s movie soundtrack. It reminds us of Take My Breath Away by Berlin or Nothing Compares 2U by Sinead O’Connor. A haunting and desperate keyboard ballad for the modern genration, Hook You Up lands to inhabit planet pop with a bruised simmering vibe. The Nothing Compares 2U comparisons don’t end there either, because Prince wrote that song and Sylver Tongue has credited the Parade era purple genius as being one of her main obsessions whilst penning the it.

There’s no other material or much information out there about Sylver Tongue at the moment, but what we do know is that she’s been working with James Rutledge (Fever Ray, Everything Everything), sports an awesome mohawk haircut, triangular shaped earrings and GaGa-esque face art. If you’ve ever spent a bit of time on Breaking More Waves you’ll know we’re suckers for girls with electronics that do dressing up and fashion and so our interest has certainly been roused. Let’s see where this goes next, but early inquisitives can catch Sylver Tongue at Madame Jo Jo’s in London (Feb21) Unit in Southampton (Mar 17) and the Lexington also in London (Mar 20).

Silver Tongue - Hook You Up

Silver Tongue - Hook You Up (Video)

Sylver Tongue - Hook You Up from Sylver Tongue on Vimeo.

The Saturday Surf #30

2012-02-11T08:30:00.000Z

Next week Valentine’s day arrives again and from a musical perspective that means a whole load of cliché ridden compilation albums. Yuck. It’s so difficult to find a beautiful love song that sounds sincere without being trapped by overblown finger-down-the-throat sickly over sentimentality.

So this blog will be Valentine music free this year, although our love for music runs throughout the year not just for one day.

Here are some tracks that have been getting our love though. Enjoy them all.

Grouplove – Tounge Tied (Gigamesh Remix)

You’ve probably heard Tongue Tied on the Apple iPod Touch advert even if you weren’t aware of the band themselves. Tongue Tied was always a fantastically good holler along indie / folk / rock /pop tune but now Gigamesh has given Grouplove some juicy summertime disco nursery rhyme flavours and made it sound even better. Bump the beat. This is so good and free to download!

Fixers – Iron Deer Dream (Keep Shelly In Athens Remix)

This is a case of the re. It’s a remix of a re-release for Oxford's Fixers Iron Deer Dream. (See even the word dream has re in it as does deer and Fixers, albeit in a back to front style). Was it really over a year ago that we first featured the original of this song on the blog? Yes it was. So let’s give it another go, because it deserves it.

Slow Club – The Dog

Ah Slow Club. In the past we’ve gushed uncontrollably about them like a demented fan-boy. So we’re going to try and be a little more restrained about them today. WE LOVE SLOW CLUB. WE LOVE SLOW CLUB. OMG WE LOVE SLOW CLUB. WE LOVE SLOW CLUB SO MUCH. OH SLOW CLUB CAN WE MARRY YOU? OH SLOW CLUB, SLOW CLUB, OH OH OH… Damn. Failed. The Dog is the bands new single out on March 26th as a digital download.

Willy Moon - Yeah Yeah

2012-02-10T13:30:00.000Z

One of Breaking More Waves new favourite rising stars - the suited and Brylcreemed Willy Moon - is currently beavering away writing and recording, but he’s just recently thrown up this new track on line for free download. Taking a sample from Wu-Tang Clan’s Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthing Ta F’ Wit and combining it with rips from The Meters and James Brown (you simply cannot mistake the legendary yelp of the godfather of soul) not only is Yeah Yeah good, but it suggests that Moon may not just be a one-trick novelty Bo Diddley copyist. Its hooks, slams and beats testify to that.

Like the music your granny and grandfather used to dance to, but brought 100% up to date for a new generation Yeah Yeah by Willy Moon sounds just right for a Friday night. We placed Willy in our Ones To Watch for 2012 last year. Keep an eye and ear out for him as the year goes on, this guy is interesting.

Willy Moon - Yeah Yeah

Louise & The Pins - Bell Jar

2012-02-10T08:30:00.000Z

Here’s something exquisite. It’s the forthcoming single from Louise & The Pins and it’s called Bell Jar. You may remember the tune from a live video featured on Breaking More Waves last summer when we introduced the band. Now here’s the song in all its studio splendour. The treatment is perfect – warm strings, gentle backing vocals drums, guitar and bass flesh out the song without ever destroying is graceful simplicity. Louise’s leisured sultry vocals are perfectly composed with a gorgeous late night melody.

This is the sound of music that is utterly untarnished and it’s beautifully absorbing. Need we say any more ? Just do the right thing, press play and agree with us.

Louise & The Pins are currently working on an album and will be playing a headlining show at St Pancras Church in London on the 4thApril. They have also been confirmed to play the 2012 Secret Garden Party Festival.

Louise & The Pins - Bell Jar

Outfit - Dashing In Passing / Holiday (Video)

2012-02-09T08:30:00.000Z

Outfit are a confusing band aren’t they? At the end of 2011 we placed them in our Ones to Watch 2012 list because after some initial online buzz and a few so-so tracks they took things up a gear with Two Islands, a preposterously subtle but hip-wiggling tune that had us all collectively pigeon holing them under the sign ‘The New Wild Beasts’.

Now with those credentials established here’s the new Outfit single. And it sounds nothing like Wild Beasts at all. There's also a video piece commissioned by the Static Gallery to respond to themes involved in 2011's Terminal Convention Project which samples Madonna over an ambient spacey soundtrack. Again nothing like Wild Beasts or the new single. As we said, Outfit are a confusing band.

So it’s back to the drawing board for the music blogs including Breaking More Waves, once more learning the lesson that you should never jump to conclusions based on one song.

For Dashing In Passing is a flashing of the eyelids come-hither slo-mo jam that gently sashays it’s way to the box marked r’n’b. It verges on being underwhelming, but in a good way, by slowly channelling its way into your brain. Like the flirtatious girl or boy you really want but can’t have it’s tantalising but never fully delivers, leaving you wanting more. Thankfully that more is coming though, so patience may be rewarded. As after this track is available on iTunes on February 13th an EP called Another Night's Dreams Reach Earth Again follows in April 2012. It will probably contain a hip-hop tune and a ballet score.

Quite how all of Outfit’s current releases are going to fit together to give the band a solid identity is yet to be seen. Maybe that will become clear when they head out on tour, starting this weekend in Brighton. If you want to know how the show goes, follow us on twitter here, where we’ll attempt to sum up the gig in 140 characters or less for you.

Matt Corby - New Waves

2012-02-08T08:30:00.000Z

Amongst the never ending stream of new (or newish) acts that pass through the Breaking More Waves filter there’s one that has stuck firmly without ever getting washed away over the last few months. That singer is Matt Corby. Don’t get confused and muddle him up with Matt Cardle, (that would be really sinful) even although both acts started out on a TV talent show. But as we said with the equally talented (although very different) Pepper and the 'actually that album was quite good wasn't it' new pop queen Nicola Roberts recently, don’t be put off just because someone has taken their chance via the TV route. A great performer and good songs are just that, irrespective of where the artist has come from.

This young Australian is raw talent. He sings with a voice that is equal parts bluesy and soulful, fire coated with a warm folkish tinge. If you’re the kind of person who has the likes of Bon Iver, Mumford & Sons and Jeff Buckley in your record collection then the chances are you’re going to like Matt Corby. No, scrap that, you’re going to love Matt Corby. A lot.

From the inauspicious TV beginnings (he was runner up on Australian Idol in 2007) Corby independently released his own EP before hooking up with Communion records. Further EP’s and live shows have followed with audiences being won over with ease. He’s also taken the unusual step of playing a series of gigs in people’s gardens in Australia. These communal shows have brought audiences together with a sense of intimacy that simply isn’t possible in a normal concert venue space.

Corby possesses rugged boyish good looks in abundance, which no doubt will endear him to many girls who set eyes on him, but there’s far more to the man than just a pretty face. Shut your eyes, listen to the music and prepare to be bowled over. Australia’s got talent.

Matt Corby - Brother

Matt Corby - My False

Ladyhawke - Black White & Blue

2012-02-07T08:30:00.001Z

Do you like facts? We do.

In fact our inner geek would quite happily write every blog post as simply a list of facts. Not beliefs or opinions (you can form your own on those) but facts. We’d be like a mini new music Wikipedia with only one editor.

But in the interest of adding to the debate and having ‘an authentic voice’ as us blogger types like to say, it is necessary for us to also push our beliefs and opinions on you.

So today we’ll divide the facts from the opinions and you can choose what you want.

Facts

1. This is the new comeback single by Ladyhawke.

2, It is called Black White & Blue.

3. Ladyhawke originates from New Zealand.

4. The video pays homage (ie rips off) to the 1970's classic The Eyes Of Laura Mars starring Faye Dunaway (look here).

5. The video was filmed in Auckland in late 2011.

6. It was directed by Tabitha Denholm who is best known for her work with Florence & The Machine.

Opinions

On first listen we weren’t particularly impressed with this song. But it’s grown on us. We particularly like the R2D2 robot sounds on it.There are some remixes as well. The Big Pink created one (they need to do something to earn some money and increase their profile after the poor sales of their blink and you missed it poorly performing second LP) but we prefer the Punks Jump Up Remix - it has that 80’s New York disco sound that we very much approve of.

Ladyhawke - Black White & Blue (Punks Jump Up Remix)

Ladyhawke - Black White & Blue (Video)