London | Rex Manning Day music blog.

Rex Manning Day’s Top 5 Independent Bands From London

May 13, 2013 in Alt-Country, Americana, Doom Pop, Electropop, Free downloads, independent bands, Indie, Industrial, Pop, Rock, Synthpop

London has always been the epicenter of the music scene in the UK, so naturally the city is bursting at the seams with a ton of undiscovered talent. If you’re lucky enough to live in Londontown it’s as easy as scoping out the popular clubs and bars (like the ones listed at http://www.latenightlondon.co.uk) to find out about the city’s up-and-coming bands, but for those of us who aren’t lucky enough to live anywhere near London, finding these artists may prove to be more difficult.

Because we love London and all of its independent bands who deserve as much promo as they can get, here is a list of our top five favourite indie bands from London; for your listening and reading pleasure:

Cat Meat {Alt-Country/Americana} + Free downloads

We’ve been sucking up the delicious cat meat for quite some time now, and seeing that a good London-based Americana band is a rare commodity these days, there’s no denying that Cat Meat are the leaders of the pack in London’s independent alt-country scene. And because it’s a true travesty that the band only has a mere 213 likes on Facebook, if you dig their tunes you should head on over to their Facebook page and hit that “Like” button; (and don’t forget you can download their entire album for free here).

Pet Friends {Alternative Rock} + Free downloads

We’re all about having pet friends, so obviously we checked out this group’s tunes as soon as we heard about them. This four-piece has only been around for six months, and they just released their debut EP (awesomely titled I Don’t Want Pet Friends) a couple of weeks ago. If you like their music then make sure you take advantage of those free downloads yo!

Rafael Rozenson {Electropop}

When we first heard Rafael’s tunes we thought it was the lead singer of Hot Chip trying to pull a quick one on us, (just because we’re a sucker for a good conspiracy theory like that). His songs border on the electro, house, dance and pop genres, and he produces his own music which is impressive in itself. For more info on any upcoming concerts and releases make sure you check out his Facebook page, and to listen to some of his other songs visit his Soundcloud account.

Elephants and Castles {Pop/Rock}

This trio was founded “‘neath the tower blocks of London town,” and their most recent track ”Concrete Love” has already been on the receiving end of some love from BBC. The group has only played a handful of South London gigs thus far, but are currently prepping for a ton of live shows this summer. To stay up to date on any of their upcoming concerts give them some “Like” love on Facebook, and to listen to some of their other tracks check out their Soundcloud account.

DOLLS {Synthpop} + Free downloads

Combining dark pop, pulsing new wave, and industrial synthesizers, the DOLLS’ frontwoman Nikki Awesome and her “multiple personalities” just released their self-produced solo debut (although she founded the group back in 2009). Her music is clearly influenced by bands like Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, New Order and Joy Division, and describes it as a “more offensive byproduct of a commercial pop career gone AWOL.” (Ed. note: COOL!) You can download a crapton of her songs for free via her Soundcloud account, but if you dig her tunes make sure you like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.

To listen to the epic track that is “One On One” click here.

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{Photo credit: Elephants and Castles}

Tags: England, free mp3 downloads, London, UK
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Album review: James Blake – Overgrown {Indie Pop/Indietronica}

May 10, 2013 in Album reviews, Electronic, Guest Post, Indie, Pop, R&B

BRYNN’S RATING: 8 / 10

KEY TRACKS:

“Retrograde”

“Overgrown”

“Dim”

“Digital Lion”

I want to go ahead and start by addressing the elephant in the room: Antony Hegarty. Yes, the comparison is going to be made, because it can’t be avoided. If you’re a fan of Antony and the Johnsons, it’s impossible to listen to James Blake and not think that he sounds a lot like Hegarty. A lot. In addition, Blake’s music is not that far away from the dreamy alt-pop style that Hegarty and his crew are known for.

So then the question becomes, is there room in the genre for two artists who are so similar? Initially I thought no. I’m kind of over the whole Antony Hegarty thing anyway, so why would I want a rehash? I threw James Blake’s album into my “new stuff” playlist, and it got mixed into the shuffle, and to be honest, I pretty much expected it to get buried there forever.

Three days later, though, I found myself humming a song, and I thought, who sings that? Eventually I figured it out: it was the vocal riff from James Blake’s “Retrograde.”

You have to admit, it’s catchy.

In fact, it’s surprising just how much of Blake’s melodic structures are natural hooks, especially considering that he doesn’t really do anything bouncy or anthemic. It’s all about groove, and drawing the listener into that groove, and this is where Blake really comes into his own.

If your idea of good indietronica is clever dance music with a retro edge, it’s safe to say this album won’t be for you. This is rainy day music, not gloomy as such, but relaxed, muted, and subtle. There’s a lot of digging to be done, layers upon layers of lyrical meaning and plain old good musicianship to be discovered. It’s somewhat surprising, not necessarily because Blake so easily could be written off as an Antony Hegarty knock-off, but because his eponymous first album was in a very similar vein, and yet he managed to pull off a second volume of chilled post-dubstep without falling into a rut.

That said, this is either your thing or it isn’t. Detractors have described him as derivative, depressing, even boring, and I can see where those comments come from, and indeed subscribed to that point of view after a first listen to Overgrown. But repeated listens helped open me up to this album, and now it has moved from my “new stuff” playlist to my “summer chill” playlist – a strong upgrade, indeed.

There’s very little about this album I don’t like, but I would say that Blake needs to be careful about sticking too much to the same formula. He managed to pull off two albums like this; I don’t think a hat trick is on the cards. It’ll be interesting to see where he heads from here, as his voice and songwriting style point to a very specific place, and any attempt at reinvention could easily come across as overly contrived.

Not to worry, though – regardless of what James Blake releases next, we’ll always have Overgrown to fall back on, as it has a timeless quality that’ll hold up for many years to come.

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Tags: England, London, UK
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Top new tracks: Beady Eye, Noah and the Whale, Atoms for Peace, Surfer Blood + Daughter covers Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky”

May 1, 2013 in Ambient, Art Rock, Electronic, Experimental, Free downloads, Pop, Psych Pop, Rock

Atoms for Peace – “Magic Beanz” {Electronic/Experimental}

We’ve been listening to Amok nonstop since it was released a couple of months back (which may or may not have something to do with being swooned by Thom Yorke’s HOT moves in the “Ingenue” video), so we were surprised to see that the group is already releasing new material. The track made its debut this past Saturday during Thom Yorke and Nigel Godrich’s glorious DJ set on the French radio program Nova Club.

Beady Eye – “Second Bite of the Apple” {Rock}

Now that Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds had their time in the spotlight with their 2011 record, it’s time for Liam Gallagher and his Beady Eye to do what Liam Gallagher does best: Steal the spotlight from his brother. Beady Eye’s new album finally has a name (Be) and a release date (June 10th) and just in case you missed it you can listen to the album’s first single “Flick of the Finger” here.

Daughter – “Get Lucky” (Daft Punk cover) {Psych Pop}

Everyone and their mother is talking about this new Daft Punk track, so of course everyone and their mother decided to give it some remixing and cover love as well. This song debuted on the BBC Radio One Live Lounge show, which is also where Daughter covered Hot Chip’s “Ready For The Floor” and Bon Iver’s “Perth” last month.

Said The Whale – “I Love You” {Pop/Rock} + Free download

Said The Whale’s new album is out June 18th, so you know what that means….you best be preparing yourself for a plethora of music videos!! And because the band are the awesome Vancouverites that they are, they’re offering this single as a free download if you join their mailing list here.

BRAIDS – “Amends” {Experimental/Ambient}

Whenever a new BRAIDS track is released, a long line of music bloggers step up and start ranting and raving about how awesome it is, and this track was no different. This trancey, ambient tune is off the art rockers’ new 12″ In Kind // Amends, which is being released June 11th via Arbutus.

Noah and the Whale – “Heart of Nowhere” ft. Anna Calvi {Pop/Rock}

It’s less than a week until Noah and the Whale release their fourth LP, which is bound to be on the top of everyone’s top album lists this year. The track has got some heavy-duty violin action going on, and also features the Brit Award/Mercury Prize-nominated artist Calvi.

Surfer Blood – “Slow Six” {Alternative Rock}

This track is off Surfer Blood’s forthcoming LP Pythons which is being released June 11th (although the song originally debuted on their Record Store Day 7″). And in case you didn’t already know, the band started their mega North American tour with Foals today; to check out their upcoming concerts click here.

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Tags: Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, California, Canada, England, Florida, free mp3 downloads, London, Los Angeles, UK, Vancouver
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Top new tracks: The xx, MGMT, Sigur Rós, Joy Orbison + Unknown Mortal Orchestra covers Lindstrøm

April 26, 2013 in Alternative, Ambient, Dance, Experimental, Free downloads, Pop, Psych Pop, Psychedelic Rock, R&B, Rock

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “Rà-àkõ-st” (Lindstrøm cover) {Psych Rock}

Just when we thought things couldn’t get more awesome than the mega Norwegian producer remixing UMO, the psych rock giants went and returned the favour by covering one of Lindstrøm’s tracks (which is off his 2012 album Smalhans). The cover is pretty epic, which isn’t surprising given that everything UMO touches turns to psych rock gold.

Joy Orbison – “Donell” {Dance/R&B} + Free download

Fans will be wringing out their panties once they find out that not only has the popular UK producer released a brand new single, he’s also making it available as a free download (so get on that shit). The track doesn’t sound a whole lot different than his previous work, but given that a new Joy Orbison track is a rare commodity these days I’ll quit my bitching.

The xx – “Together” {Alternative Pop}

With all the big-wig names being pinned to the new Great Gatsby soundtrack, it’s easy to forget that London’s beloved xx gave their own little indie touch to the release. Other artists featured on the soundtrack include Beyoncé, Jack White, Gotye, Florence + The Machine and Jay-Z (who served as the soundtrack’s executive producer).

Wild Nothing – “A Dancing Shell” {Electropop}

We only just found out about this new Wild Nothing EP a few days ago, so we were pretty stoked when we saw that the dream poppers had already released the EP’s first official single earlier this week. The release only has seven tracks on it, but if it’s as awesome as their 2012 album Nocturne or this, then it’s bound to be a killer.

Baths – “Ironworks” {Ambient/Experimental}

It’s been three long years since we’ve heard anything from Baths (AKA Will Wiesenfeld), so obviously fans have been buzzing about this new dreamy, ambient tune. The track is off Wiesenfeld’s second LP Obsidian, which is being released on May 28th via Anticon.

Sigur Rós – “Ísjaki” {Alternative Rock}

Sigur Rós’ new LP won’t be released for another couple of months, but they’ve already released not one, but two new tracks off the album. Even though “Brennisteinn” made its debut online last month, ”Ísjaki” is said to be the first official single off their new album, which is being released June 17th/18th via XL Recordings.

MGMT – “Alien Days” {Psych Pop}

Although this track was included on the duo’s limited-edition Record Store Day cassette of the same title, “Alien Days” is the first official single for their brand spankin’ new album which is due out this June. It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly three years since Congratulations was released, so all we can say is it’s about damn time, MGMT!

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Tags: Auckland, Brooklyn, California, England, free mp3 downloads, Iceland, London, Los Angeles, New York, New Zealand, Oregon, Portland, UK
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Guest post: 50 Reasons Why The Rolling Stones Rock

March 27, 2013 in Classic Rock, Guest Post

Photo credit:Ken Regan/Courtesy of The Morrison Hotel Gallery

Honestly people, there are millions of reasons why the Rolling Stones are one of the greatest bands on the face of the planet. Below are the top 50 reasons why The Rolling Stones rock:
1. – 4. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood: These British boys are senior citizens who have rocked consistently for five decades.

5. The Blues: While The Beatles based their music on skiffle, the Rolling Stones based their music on the American blues.

6. Autobiographies. All four of The Rolling Stones have penned some amazing autobiographies, perhaps the greatest being Life (2010) by Keith Richards.

7. The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. Filmed in 1968 and not released until 1996, this is a gem of a time capsule that includes some of the greatest bands from the 60′s including The Who, Taj Mahal, and Jethro Tull.

8. The Logo: The Rolling Stones have one of the most recognizable band logos of a mouth with a protruding tongue. Designed by John Pasche and introduced in 1971, this iconic logo rocks.

9. Longevity: For 50 solid years, the Rolling Stones have provided high quality rock and roll music and entertainment. That’s pretty amazing.

10-34. There are 24 albums that The Rolling Stones have released beginning in 1964. Not all of these albums are earth-shattering; some of them are classics such as Beggar’s Banquet, Let It Bleed, and Tattoo You.

35. Brian Jones (1942-1969): Founding member of The Rolling Stones, Brian Jones was an amazing musician who met an untimely death when he drowned in his swimming pool.

36. Songwriting: While much is made of the songwriting team of Lennon & McCartney, the Jagger & Richards songwriting team is also solid and legendary. Songs like “Ruby Tuesday,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Gimme Shelter,” and “Angie” are all Rolling Stones hits that will last forever.

37. Rolling Stones Records. The Rolling Stones were one of the first bands to form their own record label. Nowadays, many bands are following this trend.

38. Mick Taylor: Mick Taylor was a vital Stone’s member from 1969 to 1974 and played on many Stones’ records.

39. Ian Stewart: Stewart was also a founding member of The Stones and was their keyboard player from the very beginning. He played with The Stones, mostly on recordings, into the 1980s but died in 1985 from a heart attack. Sadly, Stewart was demoted from being a full member by a manager who thought he didn’t fit in with the rest of the band.

40. Sir Mick: Jagger was made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales in 2003, causing friction in the band. Richards, particularly, felt that the Knighthood was not in keeping with the band’s bad boy image.

41. Philanthropy: Mick Jagger is a supporter of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Elton John AIDS Foundation, Prince’s Trust (as in Royal, not the other Prince), Reverb, and the Soil Association. The Rolling Stones holds a large charity concert every year, and the proceeds are donated to a variety of causes.

42. Musical Legacy: The Rolling Stones are an original and influential band who has made an impact on many bands including The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and The Black Crowes.

43. Style: From cheeky frontman Mick Jagger to neo-pirate Keith Richards, The Stones flaunt a unique fashion and style.

44. Pirates of the Caribbean: Keith Richard’s signature eyeliner, hair and mannerisms inspired Johnny Depp to create [the character] Captain Jack Sparrow.

45. Rock stars: The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

46. Grammys: The Rolling Stones have received three Grammy awards.

47. The Kinks: Mick Avory played with The Rolling Stones at their first gig in the early 1960s. He went on to be the drummer for The Kinks, another fabulous British rock band.

48. Andy Warhol: The Rolling Stones commissioned Andy Warhol to create the famously sexual album cover for Sticky Fingers in 1971.

49. Mick Jagger’s voice. The voice of Mick Jagger can go from a whisper to a scream, and he is renown for his sassy falsetto.

50. ”50″: In honor of 50 years as a band, The Stones released a large coffee table published by Hyperion.

This list of why the Rolling Stones rock could go on for pages and pages, but let’s leave it at that for now. As a currently active rock band, The Stones are still out there creating more great moments for fans to treasure.

Nisha represents a site called HowTheStonesRoll.com

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{Photo credit: Joel Ryan/Invision/AP}

Tags: England, London, UK
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Guest post: Terrible Albums and Famous Musicians – What Were They Thinking?

March 25, 2013 in Album reviews, Classic Rock, Funk, Guest Post, Rock

Bad albums by great artists are a very difficult thing to swallow. Musical visionaries eventually run dry creatively and don’t know when or how to take a break to recharge. At best, the albums produced are laughably bad and/or the artist rebounds later. In the worst case scenario, these black sheep albums can signify the beginning of the end for an artist.

Lulu {Metallica and Lou Reed}

Metallica and Lou Reed

While neither artist has a pristine track record, this is a record so bad that fans of both artists and music in general wondered if the whole thing was an elaborate prank. Primarily featuring spoken word from Reed with Metallica as his backing band, the album is based on a pair of works by German playwright Frank Wedekind, not that anyone would be able to notice. The fact of the matter is that there is no musical synergy at play here. Reed’s rambling and Metallica’s mostly limp arrangements never line up and it makes for an incredibly long, exhausting listen after nearly 90 minutes.

Van Halen III {Van Halen}

Van Halen

This is another obvious entry in this list. Picking Gary Cherone, former vocalist for the band Extreme, to replace Sammy Hagar was just the first of many questionable choices for Van Halen during the ’90s. The songs on this record were mostly longer and more experimental than the band’s previous material, which would be fine if the songs weren’t already suffering from the worst problems of the Hagar era. Everything is lifeless and immediately forgotten after listening, with even Eddie Van Halen clearly having no idea what he wants to do with the material.

Never Let Me Down {David Bowie}

David Bowie

Every list like this needs a “washed up, lazy ’80s record” entry. The lowest point in a self-proclaimed five-year malaise, Bowie has a few decent songs on here but the production is so uninspired and heavy that they completely go to waste. It sounds like David Bowie is trying to be creative without having any actual inspiration. Some people find this record interesting but they’re clearly just trying too hard.

Universal James {James Brown}

James Brown

This album’s effort to update his sound in the ’90s almost seems to miss the point of James Brown. His music is timeless, vital and bounding with energy. This record is sterile, contrived and a blatant attempt to cash in on his popularity. Instead of sounding like a James Brown record incorporating hip-hop, it sounds like a generic ’90s hip-hop record that got out of hand with sampling James Brown. Between the album’s sound and its record cover, it’s a fitting companion piece to the soundtrack to “Space Jam.”

Jason Kane is a vinyl record collector and avid music blogger. Jason collects his vinyl from SoundStage Direct, an online vinyl record distributor.

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Tags: Atlanta, Brooklyn, California, England, Georgia, London, Los Angeles, The South, UK
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Top new tracks: The-Dream, two new Vampire Weekend songs + Dinosaur Jr. covers Phoenix’s “Entertainment”

March 19, 2013 in Alternative, Electronic, Free downloads, Garage Pop, Indie, Pop, Rap, Rock, Top 2013, Uncategorized

Sweet Baboo – “If I Died” {Alternative Pop}

This tune is weird as fuck but it will eventually grow on you if you give it a couple of listens. (Plus the dude likes to dress up as a kitty-cat, what’s not to love?) The track is off his new album Ships which is being released on April 22nd.

Dinosaur Jr. – “Entertainment” (Phoenix cover) {Rock} + Free download

Phoenix’s “Entertainment” has been one of the most talked about songs of 2013 thus far, so it was only a matter of time before someone gave it some cover love. And although not everyone seems to be a fan of the cover we’re actually starting to like it more than its original….(please don’t hurt us now).

The-Dream – “TRON” {Electronic/Rap}

Everyone’s been buzzing about this new track (because you know, the word “TRON” and electronic beats go so well together). The track is off his new album IV Play which is out May 7th via Def Jam.

The Leisure Society – “Fight For Everyone” {Pop/Rock}

If you’re still suffering from the pre-spring sads then you can certainly count on this summery track to help raise your spirits. This song is off the Londoners’ third album Alone Aboard The Ark, which is being released on April 1st.

Die Eternias – “King Youngstar” {Alternative Rock} + Free download

We wrote about Die Eternias’ awesome alt-countryish single “Ice Princess” last November, so we were pretty stoked to see that another new track from the Viennese was drifting around the interwebs. This song will be featured on their forthcoming vinyl split 7″ record which is being released next month.

Vampire Weekend – “Diane Young” + “Step” {Indie Rock}

It’s been a great week for us Vampire Weekenders as the group revealed not one, but two new singles off their new and highly anticipated album Modern Vampires Of The City. While “Step” sounds oddly similar to 2008′s “Campus,” “Diane Young” is slightly more rockish but the baroque piano chords help give it some primo Vampire Weekend edge.

Casual Sex – “Soft School” {Garage Pop}

Glasgow’s Casual Sex have just revealed a brand new poppy tune which is actually a B-side to their debut single “Stroh 80” (released earlier this month). Their limited edition 7″ vinyl/download will be released via the Moshi Moshi Singles Club on April 1st.