Land Of Talk are striking, lyrically and technically, without the use of synths or programmable sounds of any kind - just check out the title track to Some Are Lakes. It's refreshing to find bands nowadays who stick to the raw product of guitars, bass and drums and come out with material where 'rocking' and 'heartfelt' can go hand-in-hand.
I've 
The Swell Season came about when it's core members - Irish ex-Frames frontman Glen Hansard and Czech Markéta Irglová - got together to write the soundtrack for the 2007 movie Once, in which they also co-starred together. It seemed their onscreen chemistry was so evident behind the scenes, that the couple dated while making a second album. Between then and now, the pair has broken up romantically, but thankfully, not musically.
Personally my opinion of Glen Hansard has fluctuated between 'like' and 'hate' over the last few years. I can't explain why he previously didn't grab me. This new album however, has firmly positioned itself in the 'love' camp.
Sounds like: Ra Ra Riot, The Hoosiers, The Maccabees
Leeds based teens Grammatics started out in 2006 and have since produced a slue of 2-track releases. With their debut full length self-titled record out this year, they’ve been touring their socks off and subsequently bagged themselves the support slot in Bloc Party’s ongoing Bloctober tour.
I managed to catch them at the Bristol O2 Academy on the 20th and can say wow… not just to their musical abilities, but to their sheer arrogance. No one that young should be can be THAT full of themselves, surely?! I won’t even start on the bassists’ “can’t-be-arsed” demeanor, or the lead singer giving the audience the finger as he walked off… Attitude aside, their music is solid.
The debut album is highly produced to a polished indie sheen that any 16y/old with skinny jeans would be proud to rock out to on the back of the school bus. I’m slightly disappointed it’s not really anything that hasn’t been done before. I can only describe it as very NOW. However, the edge to the band is the talented female cellist who not only adds a gentler touch to the vocal harmonies, but also nicely offsets the electronic bleeps and clicks with her darker, grandiose strings. One of the most memorable tracks is Murderer – and not just because the vocals are stupidly easy to remember – (say “Murder, murder, murderer” over and over and you’ve got the chorus) but because the track is backed by a coasting drumbeat which builds to a great anti-climatic wall-of-cello. Other stand out tracks include The Vague Archive, Broken Wing and the building 6:37min Relentless Fours (which you can listen to on Last.fm)
Given a little time and these guys could start churning out some serious contender material. After all, they already have the fanbase, the style and the live shows down.
Definitely one of the best from the cloned bunch of bands around nowadays.
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