Check This : We Were Promised Jetpacks

If you recognise the name We Were Promised Jetpacks, then there's a good shot it's because you were at SXSW last month, as they were, too.

I, however, was not, so I stumbled upon them via Waved Rumor, which I rediscovered via my overcrowded inbox. (I pay attention to your emails, I swear! I just forget to, ya' know. Follow up.) Anywho. I like the sound of the a-side of their debut single, "Quiet Little Voices," out 4th May on Fat Cat Records with the b-side "Let's Call This A Map." Let's!

We Were Promised Jetpacks -

The band's debut record, These Four Walls, is out in June. In the meantime, you can see them live. If you live in the UK.

1 May - Hinterland Festival - Glasgow
14 May - Great Escape Festival - Brighton
15 May - Great Escape Festival - Brighton
9 June - Cabaret Voltaire - Edinburgh
10 June - Doghouse - Dundee
15 June - King Tuts - Glasgow
16 June - Night & Day - Manchester
17 June - Bodega - Nottingham
18 June - Lexington - London
19 June - Cockpit - Leeds
20 June - The End - Newcastle
28 June - Outsider Festival - Rothiemurchus – Cairngorms National Park
24 July - Wickerman Festival - Dundrennan

Are they putting something in the water in Glasgow...? Seriously.

Check This : Passion Pit

Back in May, during Senior Week, I went out for dinner at some new noodle joint with two friends and one of my friend's brother, whom I had met two years prior at a dance party in my friend's room but hadn't seen since, and my friend was all like "Katy writes a music blog" and her brother was all like "Check out my friends' band, Passion Pit" and went on for about five minutes about how amazing they were and I felt all not-hip and shit and so I went home that night and checked them out and thought "Not bad," and now it's July and apparently in that two month span, Passion Pit has done some stuff like signed to this little label called Frenchkiss Records and been voted "best local act" by this little poll run by this little station called WFNX and this little publication called The Boston Phoenix and now they're playing the WFNX New England Product show at the Middle East down on 8th August and "Better Things" is all of my speakers right now and I am totes dancing all around my basement as I write this no rly fr srs.

Passion Pit - "Sleepyhead"
Passion Pit - "Better Things"

Their first EP, Chunk of Change, is out on 16th September. Here's the poster for that 8th August show:




fuckingbostonandyourfuckinggoodbandssrsly.

Check This: Rodeo Massacre's back with a new line-up.

La Maroquinerie, Paris

I saw Rodeo Massacre open for Stuck in the Sound last April, and they were really fun and had a lot of great energy, from what I remember. I've had them on my 'Space flist since then, but haven't really paid a lot of attention to them.

The latest news to come from the Paris-via-Sweden band:

Dear Friends

Sorry that we have neglected you recently.
Late last year drummer/ designer Brice Partouche decided to leave the band and concentrate on his successful fashion label April 77. This left us in somewhat of a tailspin. Something had to be done quickly.

Having toured France for over a year Michael and I wanted to take the band overseas.
Unfortunately our much-talented bassist and friend Francois Marcelly couldn’t make the trip with us due to his commitments to his studies and his other bands. He will be sorely missed but we wish him bonne chance for Sly & the Gayz.

So Michael and I packed our bags, said our goodbyes and boarded the train for London.
We found ourselves a little Victorian house in the Jewish area of Stamford Hill. We persuaded Swedish music-meister Ulf Westergren to give up his job and come live with us with little more than his hairspray, his high-heels and his Hammond organ. The next day we found ourselves a perfect rehearsal space under a red newsagent in Stoke Newington. An old friend put us in touch with Brett Anderson’s drummer Sebastian Sternberg. Over tea and scones we persuaded Sebas to join the family. Within a week he had learnt the set. We had everything we needed…or just about…

The final piece in the puzzle was to find ourselves a bassist. Enter Pete Perrett, ex-member of Babyshambles and all-round dapper English gentleman. The band was now complete. Since then we’ve been holed up in North London putting the final touches to the new and improved Rodeo Massacre.

We will miss France but we will be back. Like my Viking ancestors who, many moons ago, crossed the seas to rape and pillage, we too have made the trip to make our mark on London, England, to take what is ours and to return home victors. We may be gone sometime but remember you will always be in our hearts and if you’re ever in town please drop us a line and come see us play.

Xxx
Izzy & the boys

So now they're a London-via-Paris-via-Sweden band with an ex-member of Babyshambles. All right then. If it works for them, it works for me.

I'm pretty sure none of the songs they have on their 'Space are new material, but since it's been a while, they all sound pretty new and great to me. ("Brand New Day" and "City of Disaster," in particular.) Will have to remember to keep an eye on this lot.

Upcoming shows (all en Europe, sorry, Yanks):

5 April 2008 Water Rats London, UK
26 April 2008 Latino Bar Seville, ES
18 May 2008 The George Tavern London, UK
13 June 2008 The Borderline London, UK

Stuck In My Head/Check This: Georgie James, Places

So, I think since the beginning of the month I’ve been unconsciously attempting to cram as much indie powerpop into my head as possible before falling over in a suger-coated, harmony-and-handclap-induced coma, all in a mad attempt to soothe that Scamper-shaped hole in my heart. (Try saying that ten times fast.) To wit: my latest record obsession, pop duo Georgie James’ Places, released last September on Saddle Creek.

When I mentioned to my friends that one-half of Georgie James is John Davis, former drummer of Q and Not U, I got some scrunched noses and funny looks. “I don’t really like Q and Not U ,” Jenn said, and Kim agreed. Indeed, I’m surprised that I like Q and Not U, because it’s really not the sort of thing you’d expect me to like. “Dinner table friends!” I said, “Fear not! Georgie James (comprised of Davis and friend Laura Burhenn) is about as different from Q and Not U as possible.” (Not that there's anything wrong with...okay, we've covered this.)

I don’t know how to put this other than that I really really like this record. It bursts in with the peppy, driving “Look Me Up” and never really lets go from there, keeping the energy going right up ‘til the last track, “Only ‘Cause You’re Young,” which is just as perky and handclappy. (And what a relief! I find it disheartening when bands smoosh their best tracks to the first half of the record, leaving the end to trail off in a forgettable lack of liveliness.) Cuts like “Cake Parade,” “Long Week,” and “You Can Have It” take it down a notch; lead single “Need Your Needs” (probably my favourite of the lot), title track “Places,” and “Cheap Champagne” will make you want to dance again.

There are many lovely things about Places:

The whole thing is a work of contrasts: lively piano, Laura’s floaty vocals, handclaps, tambourine, sleigh bells, and super-addictive melodies are juxtaposed with lines like You smile about the ways which you made her suffer and Looks like a perfect day/To put our soldiers in an early grave.

The songs all flow in the same pop vein, but the never morph into each other because a slew of ‘60s rock influences (The Beatles, The Kinks, The Zombies, etc.) keep them from dissolving into an amorphous blob of twee. (Twee has its place; it’s not here.)

The wordplay is smart, even wise. (“The life of a genius is a sad one,” if you say so; They give us pretty pills to take the pain away/They let us wash it down with cheap champagne; Thunder is still a frightening sound/But we’re just finding things we’ve already found; You need your needs to get along)

The whole thing flies by in about 40 minutes, which may be a good thing or not, depending on how you look at it. I think it's good; for one thing, I have the attention span of a gnat, so the three-minute pop blitzes work for me, and for another, it leaves you wanting more. And isn't that what a good record should do?

It’s sweet, fresh, and openly joyful without being sticky, repetitive, or fluffy. In short, pop perfection.

Georgie James - Need Your Needs [link]
Georgie James - Cake Parade [link]

I know I've been paying attention to the blogosphere since late September, and yet, I can't remember any mention of this record. (Although the Hype Machine tells me otherwise.) Was I just not reading the right blogs? That's probably it. I hope that's it. In "Comfortable Headphones," Laura and John sing out, We think music is for the air/And our music is everywhere.

It certainly should be.


Georgie James has announced that they'll be playing SXSW in a few weeks.
Meanwhile, lala.com has a sweet deal for Places, through which you buy the CD and can download the record straightaway while you're waiting. Instant gratification! Joy!

Check This : I heart Eric Lashes.

Or perhaps we should just refer to him by his real name, Eric Howk, because we're not talking about The Lashes here, but his solo outfit, Palmer, AK. Though maybe we need some Lashes context here: Eric, for those of you who don't know, is guitarist for The Lashes, and, due to an accident, is now in a wheelchair, although, as he puts it, "it hasn't affected my ability to play an acoustic guitar and whine about girls."

And today, fellow bandmate Ben Lashes (or Clarke, whatever) sent out a bulletin with the video for Palmer, AK's "Same Rain/Noelly," recorded with Eric's own cell phone. According to Ben, "His cell phone will only take 10 second video clips yet somehow he may have just made the best music video ever. Watch it!"



I really love the '80s, DIY feel to that, in both the song and the video. I feel like I'm watching old school MTV (as if I ever watched old school MTV at like, a year old). I could do without looking up Eric's nose while he pretends to whistle, but other than that...I mean, the man kisses a plastic dinosaur! What's not to love?

The rest of Palmer, AK's have that acoustic, made-at-home feel, probably because "all Palmer, AK songs start off as 4-track cassette tape demos before being modernized to fit the needs of our urban Myspace mp3-demanding lifestyles." How dreamy, how gentle.

You can download "Same Rain/Noelly" from Palmer, AK's 'Space.

Check This: The Red Romance

Went into work for the first time in what feels like forever yesterday (I'd like to report that New York hasn't changed a bit; also, I almost got hit in the head by a pigeon, NOT KIDDING) and my boss (I feel weird calling him that...) mentioned working with NY-based band The Red Romance, saying that they'd toured with the Killers earlier this year. Well, I thought, I generally like the Killers, let's see what this is about.

And wow, do I like these guys. Most of the press they've gotten compares them to the Strokes, but I don't really hear the Strokes too much. What I do hear is fellow former tour-mates the Killers. And maybe Bring On The Comets-era VHS or Beta (I think "You're So Cold" reminds me of "Can't Believe a Single Word"). And someone or something else. Something from the '80s. I can't put my finger on who or what, and it's sort of driving me mad.

But they're a less angular guitar-driven version of the Killers with more singable, more likable vocals; it's a softer, more pop-minded Hot Fuss (think "Change Your Mind") without all the angst and bad memories that HF brings. And that's, at least for me, refreshing. They don't have the most profound lyrics in the world (how many a musician has scribed the words "I never knew it could feel like this"?), but hell, who cares? Their music is catchy enough to make up for that.




Eagerly anticipating more...

Check this: Arcade Fire - "Poupée de Cire, Poupée de Son" (Serge Gainsbourg cover)

What do I know about Arcade Fire and Serge Gainsbourg? Not much, actually. (I'm not much of a fan of Arcade Fire, although I do like some of the Arcade Fire EP and I admittedly haven't listened to Neon Bible. Serge Gainsbourg...I'm working on that.)

I do know, however, that this is a lovely cover, available only on the tour only split 7" (with LCD Soundsystem).

Listen over here at Prefixmag.com.

Thanks to Stereogum for the link.