Both Mafia Lights (facebook/twitter) and Amusement (facebook/twitter) have been Bands to watch on these very pages, so it’s a lovely suprise that the two of them have come together on this track.

I loved Mafia Lights’ original West with its skittish rhythms and summer tones (hear it below), but Amusement have slowed it into a lush dream sequence. The upbeat summery tones of the original have been transformed into something much smoother, subtler, and utterly blissed-out.

Mafia Lights – West (Amusement Remix) was originally published on The Blue Walrus

Broken Hands – If You Need to Lie was originally published on The Blue Walrus

The instrumental line-up suggests something folk-tinged, too,but the band’s sound comes closer to – whisper it – country music more than anything else. Granted, before the band can become too easily pigeonholed, they make the point that their music is not the sort of miserablist, crying-into-a-pint stuff that the genre has become infamous for; it’s much more vibrant than that, even if, lyrically speaking, it’s not the happiest of albums. Opener Dead Man’s Shoes immediately sets out the album’s stall with the arresting line, ‘She said our love’s like a paper cut; she didn’t know it was there till it hurt so much.’ The immediacy of the song, and the sharpness of the fiddle line that’s most prominent in it, mark it out as an impressive album opener: layered and nuanced, with surprising emotional heft.

As Mystery Jets proved with their (excellent) recent album Radlands, English bands doing Americana or any of those related genres need to know what they’re doing, or it comes across as horribly contrived. None of the 12 songs on the album lack conviction, however, and at times they’re much more powerful than one would expect. The Wayward Fall In Line hangs around less than two minutes, but contains perhaps the best hook on the album; matched to a set of cutting lyrics, it’s the sort of song that one will wish went on longer.

There are plenty of other things to digest on the album, however: it’s quite varied, both in lyrical (though the ins and outs of love are, as previously stated, never far from the band’s minds) and musical focus. After throwing out a few energetic songs towards the start, it settles into a more mid-tempo groove, but it is precisely where it starts doing so that the album hits its stride. The four-song run from Feathers through to Lisson Grove is the most impressive on the album, and by the time its finale is reached, and the magnificent, not to mention extremely intense Ballad of Billy Vincent (again, you can see where the band’s moniker could be confusing) closes proceedings, there is a distinct impression that the album is much better than the sum of its parts. It works extremely well as one interrupted listen from start to finish, as all great albums should. No doubt, people will have preconceptions going into their first listen, but the best advice I could offer you is to leave them at the door, because She is definitely not what you expect.

She is out now via Something Nothing

Billy Vincent – She was originally published on The Blue Walrus

Their mini set was soulful folk, with the songs working around Ruby’s rich, bluesy vocals with her stories of lovers and haters and sea-sick sailors. Add to that a double bass and drums/percussion for their full live set-up, and the clever folk stories evolve into something more akin to foot-tapping blues – but even when it is just Ruby on her own singing with only the percussion of drumming on her legs for accompaniment you know it’s something special.

…and here’s a video of the band cramped into the back of a camper for Sounds of the Camper Van:

Introducing: Ruby & The Rib Cage was originally published on The Blue Walrus

It’s Friday and times for our weekly round up of some of the best remixes to grace our ears over the past week.

Jay Lamar & Jesse Oliver have taken A.N.D.Y. & Vicente‘s 80s-inlfuenced funk jam El Barrio and turned up the disco vibes.

The Loops Of Fury have taken what is a laid back groove from Felix Cartal turning it into a more driving soulful electro banger.

Mumbai Science have made Congorock‘s Ivory even bigger, more thumping, and more forceful banger.

Hat tip to Jakob (Disco Demons) for a couple of these this week – he’s always on the money.

Remix Roundup with A.N.D.Y, Mumbai Science, and Felix Cartal was originally published on The Blue Walrus

I wonder how many words will pass before the fact that that this EP’s creator is only 17 is brought up. In the case of this review, the answer is (appropriately enough) 17. It’s very hard not to bring that up, even as it stands, and this is made even more difficult by my assertion that Nina Nesbitt [Twitter/Facebook] is an extremely talented young Scotswoman. I have somewhat of a thing for acoustic guitar-led folk-pop, and if you’re in the same boat, then I implore you to stop what you’re doing and, at the very least, check out the sumptuous title track from The Apple Tree.

It is a fine introduction to Nesbitt’s world, and the kind of narrative storytelling that she employs on the exquisitely-layered Seesaw is the sort that will resonate with Laura Marling fans, even if her songs are geared much more towards the end of the pop spectrum than that would suggest. Her deceptively simple and wonderfully direct melodies provide a platform for her distinctive voice. The EP artwork may come across as slightly too twee for some tastes, but her earnest approach to songwriting is indicative of someone with talent beyond their years, as is clearly audible on penultimate track Only Love.

Musically speaking, Nesbitt likes to keep things busy, but it is when she strips things back that she truly excels. Hold You features just her voice and a wonderful piano line, but it’s the EP’s finest moment by some distance. She has a bright future ahead of her if she can produce songs of that quality, and it’s a testament to her self-belief that she’s started writing songs at such a young age. Her best years are still to come, that much is for certain, but there’s a staggering amount of potential on The Apple Tree, and all of it can definitely be built on – not to mention the fact that it’s an impressive start.

The Apple Tree EP is out now on N² Records.

Title track stream:

Nina Nesbitt – The Apple Tree EP was originally published on The Blue Walrus

After a quick trip to the wristband exchange we headed straight into the city to a bar called Milo for our first band and beer. Leeds based Soulmates Never Die opened proceedings downstairs at the venue and provided a gritty acoustic solo set; unfortunately the crowd were speaking so loudly that it was difficult even at the front to hear what he was singing and saying to the packed audience. Please check out his recently released Ep ‘Honeymoon on Ice’. Wondering whether this would be a problem at the venue throughout the day (bands downstairs in the venue played on the floor at crowd level) we jumped in a taxi and headed for the Brudenell.

Once there, we settled ourselves comfortably into seats for Norwegian’s Team Me (think happy indie pop with elements derived from everything from Arcade Fire to Little Comets). They are a group that were high on my list for the weekend after I very tardily jumped on the bandwagon of their outstanding track, ‘Show Me’. Their set was energetic, full of attention grabbing drums and some fantastic vocal harmonies. It is great to find an act where five of its members can sing well and so perfectly in unison. Their performance was made more enjoyable by the band’s brilliant stage presence; at the end of their last track the guitarist brought his standing drum to the audience floor, where with their lead singer they proceeded to play as well as sing to the end of the track, right into the faces of a group of giggling girls to the side of the stage. It was an absolutely brilliant set and I would suggestion to all to go and catch them live.

After a failed attempt to get anywhere near the stage in Nation of Shopkeepers for Broken Hands (who I am told were superb), we gave up and wandered over to the O2 Academy to catch I Like Trains. We were lucky enough to grab a few seats on the balcony, a well-earned rest after the walk from the Brudenell, and the band offered a mix of eerie guitar picks and subtle synth riffs, while power drums complemented the daunting sounds of lead singer David Martin. The busy crowd lapped up the atmospheric if not a little gloomy set. We then headed back to the Brudenell for Being There, who I’d been promised were worth a watch. I was greatly underwhelmed by their average set of predictable, unrelenting guitar heavy summery indie-pop. I felt it was immediately forgettable and at the very least divided us in opinion.

After a little break we muscled our way back into the O2 for guitar music revivalists (if not saviours) Spector. They were a must-see act of the day, well known for their impressive live sets and the great audience repartee that comes from front man Fred Macpherson. The venue was packed; throughout the set the centre of the crowd became a surprising mess of crowd surfers and mosh pits. While playing all their well-known tracks to the adoration of the audience, Macpherson promised that the album would be available before they next returned to the area for Leeds Festival, a sigh of relief for those who have been waiting for so long.

Once we had finally managed to get through the crowds that were filling the maze that is the 02 we head to Leeds Met’s back room for Yuck alternatives The History of Apple Pie. After waiting for ten minutes for a crowd of any kind to appear and the band’s sound check to be completed, they began to play to a small audience. I assumed the sound man had disappeared, as for the majority of the first track there were no vocals at all and the sound of all the instruments just melded into one single drone. After a couple of tracks we left disappointed and headed across to Leeds University Union for Peace. It was a good performance of loud scuzzy math-rock (with fur coats included), but few had turned up at the beginning, with the crowd clearly building for the next act Brooklyn based Friends. They played an absolutely outstanding set of eighties inspired minimalist funk-pop, with lead singer Samantha Urbani providing a dominant and striking performance, coolly stealing caps from members of the audience, explaining why drugs were better than beer and dancing throughout. Check out their single – ‘Friend Crush’.

After that impressive performance, we had to finally select the headliner that we wanted to see. The choice was hard, with The Subways, Los Campesinos! Dog is Dead and Ghostpoet all up for offer. Despite these, we selected Lianne la Havas, who had been bumped up to Leeds Met from the Holy Trinity Church (which would have unfortunately been an incredible venue in which to see her) after Marina and the Diamonds dropped out. It was a good choice; she provided a fantastic soul-inspired set to an increasingly building audience, with hits such as ‘Forget’ going down phenomenally with the crowd. She is an impressive multi-instrumentalist and a frankly stunning vocalist and her performance carried all the attributes of an artist still overwhelmed by her fans support. Listen to her ‘Forget EP’ to get a good idea of her sound.

It had been a long day and was about to get longer, as a number of venues across the city put on an array of after parties including the O2, Cockpit, Nation of Shopkeepers and Wire

Festival Review: Live At Leeds 2012 was originally published on The Blue Walrus

Say hello a duo who could well become your new favourite band. They are from Oxford (not that Oxford; there is an Oxford in Mississippi as well, and that’s where they hail from.) Their brand of intensely melodic guitar-pop has been making waves in the States, and it could well do so over here. In fact, if there is any justice in the world, ILLLS [Twitter/Facebook] will be hot property by the end of 2012, or perhaps even before that: there is an EP arriving on June 18th, and it’s going to be amazing if its opening brace of songs are anything to go by. The video for Teeth may prove unpalatable for some (it features vomit, and could produce same from more squeamish viewers), but the song itself goes down a treat, featuring a nagging riff, keening vocals and a sense that there’s no way two people should be able to make that much noise. Bathroom Floor, meanwhile, is even more direct, proving that ILLLS wear their pop credentials on their sleeve, even if they try to cover it up with scuzzy production. The EP, Dark Paradise, should prove beyond any doubt that these guys are going to be a Big Deal before too long.

Teeth video:

Bathroom Floor stream:

ILLLS – Teeth / Bathroom Floor was originally published on The Blue Walrus

We reviewed Stay+‘s Arem EP last week, but the band formerly known as Christian Aids have now teamed up with another of our favourite electronic acts, NO CEREMONY///, on Eyes. It is a little more thumping that we would normally expect from No Ceremony, but it has that same heavy reverbed sound that we’ve learned to love from them with Stay+ takes it a little away from the synth-gloom into something more uplifting and beautiful.

Stay + – Eyes (feat. NO CEREMONY///) was originally published on The Blue Walrus

I have a small confession to make: I’ve been listening to this album for six weeks or so, but only in the days leading up to writing this review did I actually start treating it more like an album and less like a collection of songs, but it is a testament to just how good it is that Finnish starlet Sansa’s [Twitter/Facebook]  debut album Savior works just as well when broken down to its composite parts as it does as a unified whole, and that is entirely down to the strength of the songs, each of which is given further weight by her exquisite voice.

By now, you’ve probably heard that Sweden is making some of the best pop music out there at the moment. Well, Finland is stating its case in rather stunning fashion with this album, and Scandinavia as a whole just can’t seem to go wrong. Each of the songs on Savior has been my favourite on the album over the course of my time spent with it. Containing an almost obscene amount of genre-hopping – a brace of stripped-back acoustic songs close the album; the woozy acoustic pop of opener Waiting for the Sky is given an entirely new context by a background keyboard line – the album showcases its creator’s diversity in a way that expresses a clear sense of mischief. Listen to Faults in My Armour and you’ll have her pegged as a synth-pop artist, but you should then prepare to be entirely wrong-footed by the 80s-inspired mid-tempo ballad Black & White

The album is finely balanced between moods, and is surprisingly strong throughout. Right around the middle of the album, she breaks out the country-tinged title track (one of those times where the mention of country actually points to a song being good; she does a lot more with it than one might expect), and at this point, Savior hits its stride. There is also an utterly perfect pop song tucked away towards the end whose name is Can’t Keep My Eyes Off You, that would utterly dwarf the other 11 songs on the album if it wasn’t so damn consistent. I think it’s my favourite song of the year at this point – that is how good it is.

The album is more cohesive than one would think, with the number of styles explored across its 12 songs. It’s also far more than the sum of its parts, and if it passes under the radar for most people, that will be a crying shame, because it’s fantastic on all manner of different levels. It sounds clichéd to say it, but what the hell: if you only hear one Scandinavian pop album this year, then make it this one.

Savior is out next week via KoolMusik, and is streaming in its entirety below:

PRE-ORDER: Sansa – Savior [Amazon // iTunes] 

Sansa – Savior was originally published on The Blue Walrus