Luminous Plectrum

New music: This Many Boyfriends -- Starlings

2012-03-15T03:40:00.002-07:00

UPBEAT jaunt Starlings is a typically sweet piece of northern indiepop from four-piece This Many Boyfriends.
It plays out the tail of true hipster love through Marr-esque riffs, galloping drum beats and a lucid bass line.
It's not groundbreaking by any means, but Starlings is a tight piece of charming pop that embodies all that's quintessientially British indie.
Expect this to be played at dingy indie joints up and down the country.
Oh, and they've just rounded off UK tour dates with Allo Darlin' and The Cribs. Not bad.
But the question remains - just how many boyfriends are there?
Starlings is out now via Angular Recording Co.

New music: North Atlantic Oscillation -- Savage with Barometer

2012-03-14T05:39:00.004-07:00

THIS nautical wall of sound packs more force than a tidal wave of bricks.
Edinburgh's North Atlantic Oscillation hid away to record new album Fog Electric - the follow-up to 2010's acclaimed Grappling Hooks.
The thunderous Savage with Barometer conjures images of a perfect storm, with breath-sapping distorted guitar melodies and spine-crunching drum crashes providing its incredible narrative.
Hopefully, this gives us a powerful insight into what we can expect from Fog Electric, which is released in April via Kscope.

New music: Portasound -- Dreadnought

2012-03-13T05:35:00.004-07:00

HOW'S this for a music video? Instead of spending millions (well, probably hundreds in in Portasound's case), why not put your pulsating instrumental over one of the 80s' most-loved sci-fi movies?
It's exactly what Portasound have done with single Dreadnought - and funnily enough it works!
Portasound's energised 80s synth-rock is a frenetic tour-de-force, that's sharper than Corey Feldman's mullet in The Lost Boys.
They've already performed with Metronomy, The XX and Friendly Fires, and are destined to breakthrough to mainstream air-play following the release of debut EP The Second Renaissance on May 14.
Their promo warns listeners to 'Brace yourselves for a high-speed 22 minute sonic journey atop a giant synth with the legs of a horse and head of a Minotaur!'- it's hard to argue with them!
The Second Renaissance is out on May 14, via Blood & Biscuits.

New music: House of Wolves -- Follow Me

2012-03-13T05:17:00.003-07:00

LOS Angeles singer-songwriter Rey Villalobos has made quite a name for himself under the House of Wolves moniker.
Having toured Europe and the US with the likes of St Vincent, Villagers, Fanfarlo, Avi Buffalo and Sea Wolf, Villalobos has worked hard honing his warming sound, culminating in the release of his debut album Fold in the Wind.
His first single, Follow Me, showcases Villalobos' capitivating vocals in the form of a delicate whisper, spliced with atmospheric piano keys and floating guitar work, as it progresses towards its tender, uplifting chorus.
The haunting Follow Me is out now, aptly via Bleek Records.

Live review: NME Awards Tour 2012

2012-02-23T14:00:00.008-08:00

NME'S latest darlings suitably impressed the Topshop trendies at Bournemouth's O2 Academy last night (Wednesday, February 22).
The venue was played host to this year's ever-popular NME Awards Tour featuring fledgling rap queen Azealia Banks, Tribes, sultry four-piece Metronomy and Northern Ireland's Two Door Cinema Club.
The shows provide a steady platform for up-and-coming acts to propel themselves to the higher echelons of musical prestige, a la Florence and the Machine, The Drums and Kaiser Chiefs.Azealia Banks will be huge based on her confident, yet fairly short, set. Flanked only by a DJ, the opening act let her ferocious tongue do the talking over fluid beats. Crowd favourite 212 was a clear highlight and the seemless mixing of Prodigy's classic Firestarter sent the sold-out audience into an early frenzy.Next up, though, were Tribes. A typically mediocre UK act backed by NME thanks to their generic riffs and expensive haircuts. A hideous mix of Feeder, Suede and OK Go, washed down with a chaser of Pixies.
The meticulous electro-funk of Metronomy was typically efficient as they stormed through The Bay, The Look and Everything Goes My Way, while Two Door Cinema Club's charming and infectious indie pop was energetic and captivating.So here's to next year. We can't wait to see which new acts NME will be championing next time round, and we're sure the bow-legged chino fashionistas can't either.

Luminous Plectrum's top 10 songs of 2011

2011-12-27T07:10:00.000-08:00

10. Bon Iver -- Holocene

9. Alex Turner -- Piledriver Waltz

8. Major Lazer -- Original Don

7. I Break Horses -- Winter Beats

6. Fleet Foxes -- Helplessness Blues

5. The Drums -- Days

4. M83 -- Midnight City

3. The Weeknd -- Glass Table Girls

2. Girls -- Vomit

1. The Rapture -- How Deep Is Your Love?

Live and in photos: : The Drums, Portsmouth Pyramids Tuesday, December 6, 2011

2011-12-07T01:33:00.000-08:00

The formidable Jonny Pierce.THEY may have totalled hundreds of live performances in 2011, but New York City's finest The Drums showed no signs of tiring as they tore apart Portsmouth's Pyramid Centre with a typically majestic performance we've come to expect from Jonny Pierce and co.
Ably supported by the Sonic Youth-meets-The-Pains-Of-Being-Pure-At-Heart act The History of Apple Pie and promising Aussie synthsters Cloud Control, pop's indie darlings launched into their polished set with the bouncing What You Were - arguably one of the finest efforts from sublime sophomore effort Portamento.The wild, "Non-committal clappers" that were the Portsmouth crowd, which bizarrely conjured a mosh pit suitable for a Sonisphere headliner, were treated to energised renditions of Best Friend,
Stand outs were the songs with the most meaning for Pierce; the delectable How It Ended and sweet melancholy of I Need a Doctor. The latter may not entail the dizzying hooks that have made The Drums so alluring to many, but its bleak analogy of relationship strife awoke Pierce's playful side.Pierce's unmistakable talents as a showman are brought to the fore with emotional ballad Down By The Water, which has arguably emerged as the act's staple jaw-dropper, complete with thundering drum crashes and spine-tingling vocals.
Concluding with an intimate version of Baby That's Not The Point, complete with Ben E King-esque bass riff, it led to a fitting pathway to It'll All End In Tears - the stand out hit from their 2010 debut - before Pierce, under a haunting spotlight and over Jacob Graham's warbling electronic spectrum, graciously sounded off the evening with the gloriously enchanting Searching For Heaven.Luminous Plectrum has witnessed The Drums on numerous occasions over the past two years and this has to be the best we've seen them. They're polished, slick and enjoying their success. Portamento may have been met with mixed reviews, but its simplicity and synthy tones have provided a welcome boost for the band, who can only embrace a bright future ahead. The History Of Apple Pie - Tug by The History Of Apple Pie
Cloud Control by Infectious Music
The Drums - Forever And Ever Amen by wwwta

Live: Das Racist at The Joiners, Southampton (2/12/11)

2011-12-04T09:14:00.000-08:00

COMIC hip-hop starlets Das Racist tore up a sadly depleted venue with their refreshing brand of humorous-cum-ferocious rap.
The Brooklyn, New York, trio, consisting of Heems, Kool A.D, and Dap, swaggered through their internet-crazed joints Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, You Oughta Know, and new hit Michael Jackson.
Here's a video we took on the night (apologies for the sound quality).

Listen: Cloud Nothings release nostalgic mixtape

2011-11-22T15:18:00.000-08:00

YOU'D be forgiven for dismissing Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy as obvious influences to Wichita's Cloud Nothings, but it seems this latest mixtape - issued ahead of their Steve Albini-produced new album Attack on Memory - will shock a few of you.
Cloud Nothings' Dylan Baldi has pieced together a short collection of songs that influenced the band during the recording of the upcoming release.
Baldi said: “While I was writing the songs that would become Attack on Memory, I listened almost exclusively to music that was made before I was born. This is a pretty common practice for me, actually, but I took it to a new level while making the record. I more or less memorized every guitar solo on the best Thin Lizzy albums, listened to only The Wipers for about 3 weeks, and fell asleep to Black Sabbath every night.
"This mix condenses my listening habits into an easily digestible 'best of', songs that strongly affected what I was thinking while writing my own music. Not to say that every song on Attack on Memory sounds like Killdozer, but I do think that the influence of these particular tracks is often obvious, and hopefully sheds some light on why the new Cloud Nothings album sounds so different from any of the past recordings.”
The inclusion of Zounds - This Land was an inspired choice.

Mixtape tracklist:

1. Black Sabbath -- Supernaut
2. Nina Hagen -- Born In Xixax
3. Killdozer -- The Pig Was Cool
4. Zounds -- This Land
5. Thin Lizzy -- For Those Who Love To Live
6. The Wipers -- No One Wants An Alien
7. Bitch Magnet -- Navajo Ace
8. Swell Maps -- The Helicopter Spies
Cloud Nothings "Attack On Memory" Mix 2011 by Wichita Recordings

Live and in photos: Wild Beasts at University of Southampton's students' union (21/11/11)

2011-11-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

SOUTHAMPTON embraced Cumbria's finest in warm fashion last night (Monday) as Wild Beasts smothered the transfixed crowd with a typically efficient performance.Showcasing the finest cuts from this year's stellar Smother and 2009's simply wonderful Two Dancers, the quartet consisting of Hayden Thorpe, Ben Little, Tom Fleming and Chris Talbot used their musical expertise to reaffirm why Wild Beasts are arguably the British band that are on the cusp of greatness.Highlights included Ben Little introducing crowd favourite All The King's Men as 'a song about fucking', a fitting retort after Thorpe was described as sexy by an over-amorous male fan.
Oh, and of course Little's torpedo-esque shrieks of "Watch me! Watch me!" in the eponymous song.
There's no denying Wild Beasts are incredible performers; entwining the experimental with electrifying guitar melodies and resonating vocal ranges. But while the songs on Smother may be their most carefully crafted and complex material to date, the album can be a difficult listen and some tracks do not translate for an entirely fulfilling live experience.We've caught Wild Beasts live a couple of times now and another negative of their live shows has to be the disregard to play anything from their first album Limbo, Panto - arguably their most exciting piece of work.
Down points aside, Wild Beasts are an inspiring act and proof classically trained musicians can create alarmingly good music for the trendy knitted sweatshirt masses.
Apologies for the photo quality, the lighting was extremely dark.

Live and in photos: Katy B, Bournemouth BIC, Sunday, October 31, 2011

2011-10-31T11:06:00.001-07:00

URBAN princess Katy B continued her mission in slick style with a body-rocking performance at Bournmouth's BIC on Sunday.
With the audience suitably warmed-up for an energetic evening thanks to P Money and DJs Roska and Jamie George, the south London songstress breezed through hits such as Lights On, Broken Record and Perfect Stranger with powerful precision.

R.E.M run Out of Time

2011-09-21T11:06:00.001-07:00

"A wise man once said--'the skill in attending a party is knowing when it's time to leave.' We built something extraordinary together. We did this thing. And now we're going to walk away from it." – Michael Stipe (21/9/11)

WE may “heart new music” here at Luminous Plectrum, but we also heart the bands who’ve inspired today’s emerging artists.
Today, R.E.M decided to call it a day – concluding 31 years of exceptional, ground-breaking music.
In tribute to Athens, GA’s favourite sons, here’s one of my favourite ever songs:

- Rory

New music: Count to Fire -- I'm the Man You Need

2011-09-15T12:48:00.000-07:00

ENCHANTING folk rockers Count to Fire return with another nutritious fix of earthy sun-drenched blues in I'm The Man You Need.
This wonderfully filmed clip, directed by Robert Darch, provides the fitting story to the track's melancholy tale of lost love.
Musically, Count to Fire have conjured a mesmerising sound that should propel them to yet more welcome acclaim.
Comparisons to Fleet Foxes are apparent, but it's not outlandish to claim they are on par, if not better than, our bearded friends across the Atlantic.
I'm The Man You Need by Count To Fire

New music: Proof girls can make The Kut

2011-09-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

THERE has been some good news for rising all girl rock group The Kut this week - their video for Closure was added to the NME TV Radar playlist.
The low-budget, homegrown clip - consisting of performance and drama - provides a decent overlay to the band's grunge-soaked track.
Lead guitarist and vocalist Maha said: "It's all a bit unreal at the moment.
"It's so exciting for us right now though, we know we’ve still a long way to go and we haven’t finished our first album yet.”
Keep an eye on these grrls.

Man Battles with escalator for new My Machines video

2011-09-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

And the award for the most bizarre video of the year goes to...Battles for their twisted promo for My Machines (featuring Gary Numan).

In photos: The Drums @ Hoxton Bar and Kitchen (5/9/11)

2011-09-06T08:14:00.001-07:00

Live review: The Drums @ Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, London (5/9/11)

2011-09-06T08:01:00.000-07:00

INDIE-pop darlings The Drums showcased new material from Portamento with a typically flamboyant live show at the Hoxton Bar and Kitchen, Shoreditch, on Monday.
Rejuvenated with a new live line-up, which sees Myles Matheny enter the fold and Connor Hanwick moving from drums to guitar, The Drums efficiently tore through a set list comprised of Portamento powerhouses and a smattering of old favourites.
Opening with the infectiously catchy What You Want, arguably Portamento’s stand out track, the close-knit crowd - despite being relatively new to the sophomore material - were treated to rousing renditions of Book of Revelation, Hard to Love and Days.
Portamento’s themes of lovelorn struggles and airy 80s-synths may steer The Drums away from sun-drenched pop perfected sound of their debut and away from the surf-popsters tag, but it was monster hits such as Me and the Moon, Best Friend and Don’t Be a Jerk, Jonny, from the Summertime! EP, that provided the night’s stand-out moments.
Pierce’s extravagant and mesmerising stage presence that makes him such an alluring frontman was, sadly, subdued and the decision to omit trans-Atlantic hit Let’s Go Surfing would have left a few fans scratching their heads.
Catching a live performance from The Drums is a shoe-in for a good night; they sound polished, the line-up shuffle has transformed them into a tighter live band, and the strength of Portamento should see them embark on a whole new direction of credibility.

Interview: Spectres

2011-08-24T09:10:00.001-07:00

“I remember waking up with a really bad hangover and being in a new band”, admits Spectres vocalist/guitarist Joe Hatt.
For a band birthed after a booze-sodden evening, Bristol-based fuzzsters Spectres have conjured a sizzling distorted guitar sound packing enough bite to obliterate any cobwebs lingering after a heavy night on the sauce.
With early comparisons to US indie-rock behemoths Sonic Youth and sumptuous dream-pop pioneers My Bloody Valentine, the four-piece are a best-kept secret of ground-breaking proportions, a group whose clinical brand of soul-smothering noise penetrates the senses like a wild nailgun.
Jarvis Cocker may have famously sang “do you remember the first time?”, but do you remember the first time you slapped Sonic Youth’s ‘Dirty’ into your beloved Walkman and shook with awe as Thurston Moore’s gloopy guitar hooks became etched onto your psyche? Or do you remember drowning in the spectral soundscape that omitted from MBV’s emotionally-drowning classic ‘Loveless’? What about the super-dirty bassline on Jesus and Mary Chain’s Sidewalking? Shamefully, these heady days of noise pop emerged more than 20 years ago; even more tragic is how this wondrous genre has barely touched the UK’s radar over the past decade.
Thankfully, all this is about to change – step forward Spectres.
Luminous Plectrum took time out with vocalist/guitarist Joe Hatt and axe-man Adrian Dutt for their first ever interview.

Spectres are undoubtedly emerging talents. After forming 18 months ago, the band, consisting of Joe and Adrian, drummer Darren Frost and bassist Ben Curtis, made the ingenious move from hometown Barnstaple, Devon, and set up home in Bristol, one of the UK’s finest and most exciting cities.
Most of their ground work for success was put in after Darren was ruled out injured for six months with a broken leg.
“We all came form mediumly-successful bands, but were never satisfied with the musical style”, said Adrian.
“After much chitter-chatter and broken promises we did some jamming and realised we were what we’d been searching for. Personally for me, I’ve just been collecting my favourite musicians in order to create the noisiest band ever. You’d be surprised how easy it is to convince drunk boys that ‘being in a band with me’ will make their dreams come true.”
Joe agrees. “Yeah, I remember waking up with a really bad hangover and being in a new band.
“I enjoyed being in my old band, but it was never really that serious – well, it was for me actually, but it was more of a social thing by the end of it. I think it was always inevitable that we were going to do something together!”.

Since the move, things have been on the up. They’ve just dropped stunning debut EP 'Family', produced by Rory Attwell from Male Bonding. The EP was recorded over a period of two days in “deepest darkest Dalston”, says Adrian.
He said: “'Family' was written over the period of a few months.
“The songs constantly evolved, we fell out and in of love with some, but around February we knew we have five songs that were ready to be unleashed.
“Our sound has constantly evolved too. We knew we wanted walls of noise, but still enough melody for it to be enjoyable.
“The bass has to be a constant driving force, so we can build the guitars around it.

We’ve already touched upon the clear influence Sonic Youth have on their material, but it turns out Joe bought his first ever Sonic Youth CD from his band mate.
He said: “I bought my first ever Sonic Youth CD from Adrian about six years ago after I’d run out of Pink Floyd albums to buy.
“I do listen to a lot of Sonic Youth, and I am definitely influenced by them in quite a few ways’ musically, artistically, and in terms of how a band should be run.
“In terms of other bands, I think me and Darren going to the Nightmare Before Christmas ATP a couple of years ago and seeing A Place To Bury Strangers blow our hangovers out of our ears was a landmark moment.”
Adrian added: “For me, Sonic Youth had existed in my periphery for years, but I had never properly indulged. I think had we all been into Sonic Youth in a big way, Spectres would sound different.
“My influences are angular, spazzy bands like ‘The Plot to Blow Up The Eiffel Tower’, ‘Settlefish’ and bands with a loud/quiet dynamic, not epic post rock, but visceral in your face changes.”

The dizzying 'Family' EP was dropped on Soundcloud three months ago and the reaction has been positive. But Adrian admits taking that first step from safely sharing the material with friends and family to the wider audience was a scary one.
He said: “We never really got our old songs out beyond our friends, so this step into the big wide world is scary, but rewarding.
“Audiences are generally either really into us, or holding their ears. We did have a bad run of being billed alongside folk bands, which really didn’t work!
“My favourite song on the EP is probably Elephant Skin – it happened so naturally, a jam which turned into this driving Velvet Underground-style tribal call to arms. It’s better live than on record, as Joe’s glasses usually fall off.”

Getting Male Bonding’s Rory Attwell on board to produce their fuzz-infused spectrum of glorious art pop is somewhat of a coup, and the band have nothing but kind words to say about him and his methods in capturing the rawness of their live performances and slathering it into the record.
“Rory is like a wizard, in a knitted jumper and nice patterned shirts”, said Adrian. “He had some great ideas during the recorded process, and he captured the live sound perfectly.
“He is literally a genius, and he knows where the good sandwich shops are, AND he lives football – shame he supports a naff team.”
Joe said: “Yep, he knew what to do with us straight away. That’s why we managed to get five songs recorded and mastered in two days, and exactly how we wanted them to sound, which had been almost impossible up until then.
“I think Rory pretty much nailed how I’d want us to sound through stereo speakers.”

How do Spectres view their career so far? “The move to Bristol was a big turning point,” admits Adrian. “I’d been wanting to leave for ages, and said that come January this year, I was moving whatever, which would have been a shame to leave the band behind, but we have sorted ourselves out, got up here and are definitely making the most of it.”
Joe said: “I think we’ve achieved what we wanted to, in terms of forming a band and making the music we love.
“We are lucky enough to be able to now take that music and play it to strangers, and those strangers in turn say nice things to us and sometimes even buy things from us which helps us to buy new leads and stuff.
“Personal achievements for me are my cycling proficiency badge and the 50-metre backstroke – both acquired in the last few months. Also, I finally grew up.”

In our opinion, 'Family' EP is the start of a fruitful future for Spectres, but where do they see themselves in the next year or so? Adrian hopes to see Darren Frost performing every gig in his pants.
He said: “We want to expose as many people as we can to our music, and hopefully tour more, play more festivals, and record an album. All that in the next 12 months please.”
Joe added: “It would be nice to have people eagerly awaiting a new EP or even an album, and for it not have to take about 326 emails to different venues to get a tour of seven dates. “I'd like for Bristol to get more coverage as well; coverage away from the usual scenes it is labelled with like drum ‘n’ bass etc as there are some really exciting bands here.
“It would also be nice to have the tremelo arm on my Jazzmaster fixed, and for Sheffield Wednesday to be in the Championship, with Gary Megson on a missing persons list.”

Some could call it Male Bonding, but a strong connection between this blog and Spectres has clearly formed, one that humbles mountains and shines as bright as a twinkling clear night sky. Adrian and Joe clearly agree.
Adrian adds: “Come and watch us live – it’s well good, and we have a plethora of good ghost stories if you need a scare. I once saw a Victorian boy who died in a well. I followed him all the way into the undergrowth in the woods, and there was this hidden well.
“Scary. I don’t follow boys in woods often though.”
Joe concludes: “Thank you for inviting us to our first ever interview. We are now bonded forever and you can come to our funeral.”

Readers can pre-order the 'Family' EP from Howling Owl Records or Rough Trade. Check out Elephant Skin and Surrogate Mother below.

We heart new music here at Luminous Plectrum. If you are in a band and would like to be featured on the blog, get in touch by e-mailing luminous_plectrum@hotmail.co.uk, or follow us on Twitter at @luminousplectrm

Elephant Skin by Spectres

Surrogate Mother by Spectres

The Disappeared share new material with Luminous Plectrum

2011-08-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

BACK in October last year, Luminous Plectrum were fortunate enough to feature Manchester-based four-piece The Disappeared.
Thankfully, they are back with a fresh bunch of tighter sounding quintessentially British indie-pop songs and fortunately they've lost
none of the relevance, attitude and urgency that made them firm favourites here in the first place.

'First up is Eight Miles Down', a song lead singer Jeremy Santhouse says is on the uncommon topic of suicide - sparked from the untimely death of a friend.

He said: "My friend's untimely, self-caused death shocked me in a way that I couldn't have foreseen.
"For starters, I was more angry than sad. I wanted to shake him by the shoulders and shout at him for being so selfish, and for causing so much anguish to those around him. Hence the song’s opening line is 'I can't believe my ears, what the hell were you thinking?'".
"The middle section of the song contains two ancient honorifics for the deceased: “may your memory always be for a blessing on your family” and “may your soul always be bound up” (…traditionally finished with… in the bonds of eternal life or similar words.)"

'Eight Miles Down' may be driven by warming guitar pop, but Jeremy's tender lyrics superbly and carefully depict the emotional rollercoaster of grief.
Although the song has been birthed from an unfortunate scenario, it shows Jeremy's writing is evolving.
Crafting a pop song on the death of a friend must be a difficult process, but Jeremy does it with confidence and 'Eight Miles Down' is now surely a benchmark for better things to come.

Another new effort is 'Some Trusts (Are Self-Evident)', a song with an important message, according to Jeremy.

He said: "'Some Truths...' started life as a letter to my step-son. I wanted to show him that, whoever you are, wherever you live and whatever you believe in, some things in life are always, objectively, right.
"The song's message is this: if we as a wealthy, modern-day, society can’t help those around us who need it, whether it’s the sick, the young, the elderly or those less well-off, that failure diminishes us all.
"I'm not alone in this view. The huge growth (and success) of charity telethons and high profile benefit concerts in the last 25 years shows there is a general recognition that sometimes other people do need our help. And, more importantly, that the rest of us can do something about it.
"The title is a play on the start of the US Declaration of Independence, which states: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.'"

The final new song from The Disappeared is 'Make Me Rich, Don't Make Me Poor' - a good old-fashioned love song straying away from the darker side of their material.

Jeremy said: Written one evening from a set of lyrics that emerged almost fully formed, this song was intended to be played on a single acoustic guitar.
"It's very unlike anything I've written before; no references to death, politics, social injustice.
"It's an old-fashioned love song, nothing complicated.
Got me lots of extra “boyfriend points” from Mrs The Disappeared too. I’m in her good books for this one."

The Disappeared are back with a bang and Luminous Plectrum are grateful they shared their new material with us. We can't wait to find out what they come up with next.

You can listen to The Disappeared's Summer 2011 material by clicking here.

IF you would like to be featured on Luminous Plectrum, e-mail luminous_plectrum@hotmail.co.uk or follow us on Twitter - @luminousplectrm

Interview: Violet Youth

2011-08-04T13:18:00.000-07:00

STOCKPORT – best known for its hat museum, being the birth place of Fred Perry…and Brett Angell.

They may now be fondly locked away in the Stockport consciousness, but the town is also home to rugged guitar pop foursome Violet Youth – an act charmingly proud of its northern roots and influences.
There’s no reason why this hotly-tipped outfit – who’ve already supported the likes of Nine Black Alps, Detroit Social Club and Sham 69 – cannot become your new favourite band.

Their energetic take on raw garage guitar pop evokes those glorious, hazy memories of sweaty nights in dingy indie clubs, savouring each note while gripped in the warming euphoric clench of cheap rum and coke.
Violet Youth – a named spawned from a packet of Parma Violets - consist of vocalist and guitarist Andrew Schofield, guitarist Phil Higgins, bassist Joe Naber and drummer Ben Bibby.

Taking time out with Luminous Plectrum, Schofield said: “Me and Phil met while we were both playing acoustic gigs. We decided that we should team up and write songs together and it all took off from there really.”
As with most features on bands from the north-west, it’s difficult not to compare acts with their regional counterparts and predecessors. Manchester and the region was responsible for some of the most integral British acts of all time and it’s clear, judging by the superb material Violet Youth have uploaded onto their Soundcloud page, that this group takes their history seriously.

The feisty 'Together' conjures thrilling surges of nostalgia by lashing a new coat of paint over Wire’s classic Mercy – Naber’s catchy bass breakdown riff throughout is similar to Graham Lewis’ – and captures the rising tension the art-punk legends were so renowned for.
The kitchen sink drama of 'Carla’s Song' exhibits Schofield’s unmistakable northern tongue through intelligent stream of consciousness verses in the ilk of Mark E Smith before closing with a striking plea for reassurance in love - “hold me closer and tell me you love me, and hold me closer and tell me you care.”
Musically, Violet Youth sound as if they were put into a tumble drier with bits of The Fall, Magazine, Carter USM, and Wire – but emerging tighter and as fresh as a summer’s day.

“I think The Fall showed me that lyrically you could go anywhere and it could still work, that aspect is kind of there”, explains Schofield.
“I’d never really heard Carter USM before we started. People kept telling us that we sounded like them and nobody in our band knew what they sounded like – they clearly had a time machine and stole our material.”

We’ve branched on who’ve influenced Violet Youth, but who are they into at the moment?
Schofield said: “We’re big fans of Young British Artists, Brown Brogues, Driver Drive Faster – those bands form our scene are just the coolest of bands and nice peeps.
“Also a bit of The Veils and Los Campesinos!”
But Schofield also had damning words for the darker side of the Manchester scene, exclaiming: “I loved The Fall and The Smiths but my love of Manchester bands has been sadly destroyed by watching 500+ Oasis bands in Manchester pubs.
“We don’t want to emulate any of them put people will always compare us to Magazine and such – not so bad.”

Violet Youth are currently unsigned but with a tour in Germany, sell-out shows in Manchester, a gig at the Etihad Stadium and London appearances, it won’t be too long until they sign on the dotted line.
“I think we’ve finally found our sound and how well we all work together. That being said, it’s taken us a long time so we’re not gigging as much, mainly writing at the moment which is nice.
“We released Carla’s Song last year, which was fun and gave us a good insight on how to do everything. I don’t know about any interested labels at the moment – we’re just happy writing the best songs we ever have done and making new music.”

IF you would like your band featured on Luminous Plectrum, e-mail luminous_plectrum@hotmail.co.uk or get in touch on Twitter by following @luminousplectrm

Listen to Violet Youth below:

Delays by Violet Youth

Together by Violet Youth

Carlas Song - Violet Youth by Violet Youth

Glastonbury 2011: The Vaccines -- All in White

2011-07-16T14:12:00.001-07:00

IN the first of our live videos from this year's Glastonbury Festival, here are The Vaccines opening their set on the John Peel Stage with All in White, the stand out track from debut album What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?

The Rapture -- How Deep Is Your Love?

2011-07-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

DFA White Out Sessions - How Deep Is Your Love? by The Rapture from DFA Records on Vimeo.

NEW York City’s The Rapture - arguably one of the most important acts of the past decade - have scoured their vast influences to piece together an career-defining anthem that has given dance music its soul back. This has been worth the wait. Sit back and take it in…The Rapture has cometh.

UPDATE: Listen: The Drums -- Money/tracklist and album art released for forthcoming album Portamento

2011-07-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

JONNY Pierce and co return with the mature sounding, but typically Drums-y, Money - a high-octane burst of lusciously layered '80s pop, chock-full with their recognisable dizzying bass lines and glorious wails.
You can listen to The Drums -- Money by clicking here.

The Drums -- Portamento
Tracklist:
1. Book Of Revelation
2. Days
3. What You Were
4. Money
5. Hard To Love
6. I Don’t Know How To Love
7. Searching For Heaven
8. Please Don’t Leave
9. If He Likes It Let Him Do It
10. I Need A Doctor
11. In The Cold
12. How It Ended

Glastonbury 2011: Mud, glorious mud

2011-06-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

LUMINOUS Plectrum has captured footage of the Glastonbury Festival 2011 site. Watch the video for all sorts of muddy goodness.

Luminous Plectrum's Guide to Glastonbury Festival 2011

2011-06-21T02:47:00.001-07:00

THE wellies are packed and the crates of Strongbow are stacked. No, it’s not the start of a festival-themed ditty, it means this year’s Glastonbury Festival is all but a day away!
More than 200,000 people are expected to pile into Pilton for this year’s pop extravaganza and Luminous Plectrum will be there to immerse ourselves in hours of musical treats.
While we prepare ourselves to tuck into what is expected to be a giant mud pie, here are some of the acts we are looking forward to this year. Don’t forget to keep up-to-date with all Glasto-goings-on by following our Twitter feed: @LuminousPlectrm

BATTLES – The John Peel stage, Saturday, 9pm

SKULL-penetrating math-rock or dance-infused experimental. Whatever you brand explosive three-piece Battles, there’s no denying legendary John Stanier’s coeserive attack of the drum kit is likely to fell the John Peel Stage on Saturday. Luminous Plectrum is eager to see how the material on newly-released Gloss Drop will fair among the Glastonbury crowd, especially the infectious Ice Cream featuring the vocals of funk-techno maestro Matias Aguayo And of course, the other-worldly Atlas.
Ice Cream (Featuring Matias Aguayo) by BATTLES

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE – Sunday, The Other Stage, 10pm

ARGUABLY one of our favourite ever bands, Josh Homme’s Queens of the Stone Age are the perfect act to drop the final curtain for another year. No One Knows, Feel Good Hit of the Summer, Regular John, Go With The Flow – the possible inclusions to the set-list are endless and this performance could be the surprise hit of the festival.
Queens of the Stone Age - Little Sister by Sound-Awake

MORRISSEY – Friday, Pyramid Stage 8pm

GOD-like Smiths frontman Morrissey warms up the crowd before U2’s headlining set on Friday and let’s just hope he doesn’t get a whiff of those mouth-wateringly tasty Pieminster stands, eh?
Listen: Morrissey -- Suedehead

WU-TANG CLAN – Friday, Pyramid Stage, 3pm

NEW York City rap-troupe Wu-Tang Clan’s rare UK festival appearance is likely to be a popular fixture for thousands of finely-tuned timetables this year, and for a good reason too. The chance to see Method Man, the RZA and the GZA, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon all on one stage is one not to be missed, and they may even throw in a few hits from their outstanding solo efforts. The thought of hearing C.R.E.A.M, Gravel Pit, Protect Ya Neck, Bring Da Ruckus, really gets us going. Really.
Listen: Wu-Tang Clan -- Gravel Pit

CRYSTAL CASTLES – Friday, The Park, 11.15pm

THIS performance posed the ultimate dilemma for us – it clashes with DJ Shadow on the John Peel Stage. But Crystal Castles’ stage headlining slot is unlikely one to be missed, and the relatively intimate Park stage should create an electric atmosphere. We can’t wait for demonic screaming over a butchered 8-bit beats.
Crystal Castles - Celestica by Crystal Castles

JAMIE XX – Friday, Oxlyers in West, 7pm

OK, it’ll be a DJ set but Jamie XX has been churning out some rather engaging material since the turn of the year. His minimalistic spin and sparkling cymbals should make the mud a tad more bearable.
Jamie XX - Far Nearer (Drvg Cvltvre Slow Grind) by drvg cvltvre

JAMES BLAKE – Saturday, The Park, 9.30pm

21-year-old James Blake’s brand of mesmerising post-dubstep is sure to conjure one of this year’s most intriguing shows. The talented electro-crooner has the unique ability to bring the hairs standing to attention while scrambling your mind at the same time.
James Blake - Measurements by hotfortheencore

YUCK – Saturday, John Peel, 1.05pm

YOU may be feeling yuck on Saturday morning, but Yuck provide an enthralling shot of 90s nostalgia and evoke hazy memories of Dinosaur Jr, Pavement, Mudhoney et al, and within their distorted guitar licks lies pop-tinged choruses perfect to blow your hangover away.
Get Away by Yuck

THE WALKMEN – Saturday, The Park, 4.45pm

THE thought of witnessing The Rat’s rapier-like guitar strumming is already whetting our appetites. A quarter to five slot could swing two ways. Is it too early to witness their epic bar-brawling-esque show, or will it provide the perfect whiskey-induced warmth for Saturday night? We may as well find out.
Stranded - The Walkmen by mickmgmt

RUMER – Saturday, The Pyramid Stage, 3.30pm

ACTUALLY, just no.

We’ll be back after this year’s spectacle with the full lowdown, pictures and videos.
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter for everything Glastonbury 2011: @LuminousPlectrm

Interview: The Alternates

2011-06-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

“I believe that music can be used as a powerful tool to remind people about some of the issues and problems in the world”, exclaims Spencer Livingston, front man of enthralling Los Angeles six-piece The Alternates.
“Sometimes the truth can be painful to hear - but it needs to be said and I am not afraid to say it.”

It’s a confident retort from Livingston, but you wouldn’t expect anything less judging by the band’s alluring debut Spiders and Webs EP – a sprawling six-track fizzing ball of energy that wraps the raw, curious vigour of early Bob Dylan with the blistering sincerity of Neil Young into one of 2011’s best kept secrets.
Their skilled musicianship shines throughout the album but it’s not surprising.

The six-strong pack are long time friends, and have been playing together since 2003.
Livingston, whose searing vocals at times splice the unmistakable growl of Kings of Leon’s Caleb Followill with the haunting croons of Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold, is joined by twins Kevin (bass) and Erwin Solis (drums), guitarist Tristan Esmundo, Matt Walker and multi-instrumentalist Jake Craven.

“Back in 2003, Matt and Spencer began playing together, then a little while later I began playing bass and that was the initial formation of The Alternates”, said Craven.
“From 2005 on, we began developing our sound little by little, by writing, recording and playing shows around Los Angeles.
“Finally, in 2009, I rejoined the band to play keyboards and we were set. At that time, we really came into our own musically and were able to find a voice that was truly ours.”

Like most bands, The Alternates put in the ground work in the hope of finding that breakthrough and, thanks to the wonders of the internet, a successful fundraising campaign via the kickstarter.com website led to the recording of Spiders and Webs – and thank the lord they did.

The EP is awash with different styles, from alluring folk-rock to rock-driven tales of modern hardships, and this was always going to be on the cards for a band full of varying perspectives on modern life.

“There’s so much going on in terms of the identities within the band”, admits Craven. “This results in everyone offering a different perspective on how something should or could sound.

“Luckily for us, we feel that is a strongpoint and we enjoy writing different songs that sound unlike our other stuff. There are no set guidelines for how we are supposed to sound, so we allow each song to develop naturally and form its own identity.”

It’s easy to sit back in 2011, take notice of what’s going on around you and fear and impending global collapse. From the middle-eastern uprisings to the catastrophic earthquake in Japan, or the global financial institution that’s akin to a teetering Jenga set, more and more people are waking up to the struggles and crisis facing the planet, and Spiders and Webs’ opener The Modern Way is extremely prevalent in terms of hardships currently facing modern world consciousness.

“I think that is definitely true about The Modern Way”, observes Livingston.
“I usually try to write songs based on observations and experiences. Most of the time I try to write lyrics that have double meanings and sometimes when you write that way, a song’s meaning can become more abstract.
“I think The Modern Way was my attempt at writing lyrics that are a little more straight forward or ‘accessible to the listener. It seems like I did a pretty good job because your interpretation was pretty dead on.
“It is important to stay up-to-date with what is happening.”

What’s next for The Alternates? The band say the EP received a fantastic reaction and there are aspirations to cross the Atlantic and perform in the UK. The world really is their oyster.
According to Craven: “We feel that in order to carve out a niche for ourselves, we need to find our finds wherever they may be. So, there is no specific place that we aim to break in.
“If there turns out to be a community of people who potentially could enjoy our music in Japan or New Zealand, then we want to do everything we can to get our music to those places.”

The Alternates have a devout belief in following their music’s path and remain true to the grounded messages jam-packed in Spiders and Webs; and there’s little doubt the six-piece can build up a loyal fan base thanks to their humble personas.
“Being a band that is working to establish itself in the industry, the journey is really an adventure”, believes Craven.
“As long as we are still making music and getting our songs out to people who enjoy them, we don’t care where we are – two bit dives in Walla Walla Washington, or festivals in the south of France, as long as we are doing what we love to do everything will be OK.”

Interested in checking out The Alternates? Check out these cracking tracks from Spiders and Webs EP below. You won't be disappointed.

The Modern Way by The Alternates

Slow And Steady by The Alternates

LIVE: Count to Fire at Dot to Dot 2011, Bristol, The Cooler

2011-05-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

WE loved Count to Fire's synchronised fashion sense, but we also fell for their rootsy folk rock at the band's intimate Cooler performance.
With impeccable musicianship, the crically-acclaimed five-piece forced away the Bristol gloom and helped their audience bask in glowing Americana blues.

Album review: Wild Beasts -- Smother

2011-05-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

Read my original review here
If The xx hadn't ridden the crest of a media tidal wave last year, there's little doubt the 2010 Mercury Music Prize would have deservedly fallen into the laps of Wild Beasts for Two Dancers - a theatrical piece of sprawling art-rock; a shining light in a beleaguered British indie scene. The four-piece, hailing from the hotbed of talent that is the Lake District, have spent the past year or so touring the aformentioned record, discovering new sounds, growing as a pack and welcoming a new fan-base thanks to the prestigious nomination.

This period of growth and discovery has birthed the band's third album Smother, a record that ditches the brashness and flamboyancy of stunning debut Limbo, Panto, but channels the rich, emotive and immersive soundscapes of Two Dancers into a mature package. That said, Smother is a dark slow-burner, perhaps too stifled and haunting at points. Gone is the rigorous tempo of fan-favourite 'Brave, Bulging, Buoyant, Clairvoyants', or the drum-filled energy of 'This is Our Lot', and in its place are warbling keyboards, gentle guitar work and passionate vocals.

Hayden Thorpe's unmistakable falsetto voice is in typically breathtaking form and it's warming to hear Tom Fleming continue to capably move to the forefront tracks, like in the finer Two Dancers efforts ('All the Kings Men', 'Two Dancers'), and play off the dizzying heights Thorpe achieves. But does it work? Yes and no. When Smother is on form, you'll be hard-pushed to find a more cohesive, atmospheric record this year, but it can be strenuous at points ('Burning' is a good example of this). Then again, with a title like Smother, this wasn't meant to be an essential summer party collection.

Talking to the Guardian earlier this month, Thorpe claimed Smother was a document of their lives, and it's easy to see where he's coming from in tracks such as frenetic 'Plaything' - a brutally honest account of one's desire for sex without the emotion - and the regret-tinged delight of 'Albatross' ("I blame you for all those things I've been through"). Another high point is succulently layered bustle of 'Reach a Bit Further', featuring Thorpe and Fleming's exciting vocal tandem, and it's difficult not to get a bit giddy over Thorpe's breathless line "tear-jerker, shadow-lurker, wonder-worker, reach a bit further"'.

The concluding heartfelt scorcher of 'End Come Too Soon' is well worth the wait. Complete with shivering backing vocals, trickling guitar melodies, a sinister piano riff and smouldering vocals from Thorpe once again, it drags Smother out of the claustrophobic quagmire to give the album a magnificently uplifting ending. Smother isn't for everyone and it's sure to disappoint fair-weather fans of Limbo, Panto or Two Dancers. It's as impressively handsome as the band itself, boasting a pallet of diverse tones and mouth-watering musicianship, but can it hold up to the striking class of Two Dancers? I'm not so sure, but Wild Beasts will continue to break new ground, inspire and rightfully reap the plaudits.

Album review: Tyler, the Creator -- Goblin

2011-05-30T14:01:00.001-07:00

Read my original review here
Tyler, the Creator has rapidly turned into the infamous face of 2011 - he's everywhere. If he's not gracing the cover of the NME, crown and all, stating, in no polite terms, that he "doesn't give a shit about the royal weddin"', he's being thrown into a cell by LA police for disturbing the peace, or overseeing a riot at an autograph signing.

The Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All hip-hop pack figurehead put blogs into a spin last year with his articulate, breath-of-fresh-air underground debut Bastard (which featured one of 2010's best tracks - 'French'), and the collective's media stock has soared this year thanks to the incredible performance of 'Sandwitches' by Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy Beats on Jimmy Fallon's US chat show, and the bizarre story surrounding the whereabouts of youngest member Earl Sweatshirt - prompting shouts of 'Free Earl Sweatshirt' at every Odd Future/Tyler appearance.

If Tyler, the Creator was one hell of a bastard last year, he's evolved into a grotesque goblin in 2011 - and he doesn't care. His confidence knows no bounds in Goblin and he constantly pushes the limits of taste and morality throughout. Bastard's quirky interplay between Tyler, the Creator and his therapist returns in Goblin, and it provides a disturbing insight into the messed-up, self-loathing young man's fragile mind. Although portrayed as the dialogue between the pair, it plays out as if Tyler, the Creator is wrestling between the good and bad sides of his conscience - Tyler, the Creator acts the devil, but the therapist takes the angelic role.

Goblin's brilliance is Tyler, the Creator's uncompromising ability to throw all taboos, stereotypes, prejudices and bigotry into the mix and literally fuck them up. It's chock-full of shocking moments, like Tyler, the Creator's urge to repeatedly stab whiny pin-up Bruno Mars in the oesophagus in the wonderfully addictive 'Yonkers', or in the horrifying, synthy 'Tron Cat'. He should be sectioned for a lyric like "Rape a pregnant bitch and tell my friends I had a threesome".

The confrontational 'Radicals' - an anthem for all angst-ridden teens across the planet - starts with a humorous random disclaimer which jokingly pleads with listeners to take the messages in the song with a pinch of salt. But with a chorus like 'KILL PEOPLE, BURN SHIT, FUCK SCHOOL" it's easy to see why his autograph signing turned into a mob riot. The up-tempo horror show 'Transylvania' follows a similar misogynistic premise as The Pharcyde's classic '4 Better of 4 Worse', but Tyler, the Creator douses a fresh dose of vitriol all over it as he pulls out the hook: "It's because I'm Dracula bitch/Don't got a problem smacking a bitch/Kidnapping, attacking, with axes and shit".

Technically, Tyler, the Creator is a solid, if unspectacular rapper -he admits this in opener Goblin - but he's creative and his style is alluring and clear. Obviously, Tyler, the Creator's lyrics are designed to create controversy and provoke reaction; and it worked this week as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Deformation slammed his lyrics as inciting homophobia and containing violent misogyny. There's no denying they are correct, but you cannot see Tyler, the Creator putting his lyrics into practice - otherwise he would have been locked up years ago.

If you're easily offended, it's best to avoid Goblin, but if you can flick your PC switch off for an hour, you'll immerse yourself in a warped, daring and sometimes brilliant, trip through the darkest depths of Tyler, the Creator's mind. Tyler, the Creator and OFWGKTA have given a stale hip hop genre a fresh injection of controversy and hype not seen since the days of Eminem. While it seems unlikely they will attain the wealthy heights of Jay-Z and the ilk, their creativity, their passion for relevancy, and desire to connect with youth through Twitter and social mediums easily spawned a hardened band of devotees, and rightfully transformed them into underground idols.

If anything, Goblin proves an exciting period lies ahead for hip hop as this motley crew attempts to regain the genre's lost prestige and rebuild the devalued foundations laid by their rap ancestors.

LIVE: Swimming at Dot to Dot 2011, Bristol, Fleece

2011-05-30T13:33:00.000-07:00

SWIMMING'S exciting melange of kaleidoscopic melodies and gorgeous soundscapes washed over the Fleece crowd at Saturday's Dot to Dot 2011 festival.
Luminous Plectrum's Rory McKeown put his trunks on and immersed himself in Swimming's vibrant performance - arguably this blog's highlight of the day.
We captured part of the midlands five-piece's opening track before our Flip camera ran out of battery.
Boo.

Album review: Fleet Foxes -- Helplessness Blues

2011-05-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

I’M not ashamed to admit (ok maybe a little) the Fleet Foxes gave me one of those cringeworthy ‘zen-like moments’ driving my car the other day -you know the situations where everything just seems perfect at that very second?
It was a gloriously sunny day and, driving my car along a country road, my surroundings were awash with strikingly beautiful daffodils in bloom at either side of the road, swamping the landscape.
Radio 1 DJ Greg James introduced new single Battery Kinzie and the rest is history.
It was just so right.
Not only did my drivers’ arm glow from the sun’s rays, but my soul basked in the glorious interference-damaged tones emitting from the muffled speakers.
Anyway, now we’ve put that self-indulgent drivel to one side, I’m pleased to proclaim Fleet Foxes’ second full-length Helplessness Blues is a revelation, building one 2008’s wonderful self-titled effort and reaffirming their status as folk’s pin-ups – a tough ask after producing such a critically acclaimed debut.
The glorious opener Montezuma is a welcomed summer’s wake-up call thanks to frontman Robin Pecknold’s soothing vocals and tricking guitar melody, and the enormous Battery Kinzie is a daring horseback ride across a vast valley of decadent drums and epic backing vocals.
Modern folk hymn Helplessness Blues grows from a campfire sing-a-long to a superlative biopic of a hardworking man’s struggle to pass through life as best as he can, penetrating the heartstrings with each decisive strum.
Penknold’s alluring voice is at its spine-tingling best in the icecap-melting crooner Someone You’d Admire, and is tested to the limit in the seven-minute opera of The Shrine/An Argument; a dizzying country anthem of biblical proportions.
You’ll be pushed hard to find many low points on Helplessness Blues but The Cascades, the album’s shortest inclusion, though a delightful insight into the band’s faultless musicianship, almost becomes a parody of the famous banjo scene in Deliverance, and Lorelai tries its best not to drag, but fails to touch the album’s sky-high standards.
In 2008, Fleet Foxes’ blend of warm rootsy guitars and Pecknold’s limitless, smouldering vocals, gave the alt-folk genre a welcomed boost, and became a staple inclusion to coffee house soundtracks across the globe.
Three years on, their formula has remained largely the same – retaining its instantly likeable rustic, organic and raw quality.
For Fleet Foxes to achieve regular radio airplay, sell hundreds of thousands of records and reach our to millions of listeners was arguably the last thing they expected, but Helplessness Blues, based on the success of their debut, should propel them to stadium-filling status in no time.

RIP TV on the Radio's Gerard Smith

2011-04-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

PITCHFORK is reporting tonight that TV on the Radio's bassist Gerard Smith has died after a battle with lung cancer.
TVOTR have issued a statement on their website.
Sad news.

Arctic Monkeys turn into Black Rebel Motorcycle Club circa 2003 for new song

2011-04-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

Oh dear.
It's like Arctic Monkeys rediscovered Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's sophomore effort Take Them On, On Your Own.
The rather drab Don't Sit Down 'Cause I Moved Your Chair is on the band's fourth album, Suck It and See, out on June 6.
And here's the artwork...
Right....

Album review: The Vaccines -- What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?

2011-03-21T14:09:00.001-07:00

OUR friends across the Atlantic have been blessed with a stellar roster of guitar bands capable of creating colossal works of thrilling pop music.
Throughout the past decade, the land of the free has berthed The Walkmen, The National, The Strokes etc – mouth-watering acts capable of thrusting six-strings to the forefront of their unrivalled sound.
Now it’s the UK’s turn to topple the American behemoths in the form of The Vaccines – albeit ten years late.
The London-based four-piece, who only formed less than a year ago, have been touted as saviours of the UK indie scene by the likes of NME, the BBC and Clash magazine – similar to the soup of excitement served up for the Arctic Monkeys. Back in 2005, Monkeys lead singer Alex Turner exclaimed “don’t believe the hype” at the beginning of the video for breakout single I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor. Thankfully, the frenzy surrounding the Sheffield scallywags was justified. Debut album Whatever You Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not provided a humorous mouth-piece of post-teen life in everyday scenarios that listeners could connect with.
But can The Vaccines’ What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? (note the similar quirky album title) dive into hyperbole and emerge with their early promise in tact?
Well, it depends on what you were really expecting. If you yearned for 30+ minutes of occasionally stimulating, hook-driven indie pop, this is the album for you. If you thought you’d found the UK’s version of The Strokes or The Walkmen, prepare to be disappointed.
The Vaccines are at their best when making anthems perfect for beered-up football terraces.
Riotous opener Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra) is fantastic; an urgent 80-second blast thumping drums and punk-driven, distorted guitar melodies, while front man Justin Young screams from the roof tops.
If You Wanna continues Wreckin’ Bar’s energy, forming a galloping pop number on the tribulations of a failing relationship, and its catchy chorus “If you wanna come back, it’s alright” instantly infiltrates the mind, while bouncy pop-punk Norgaard resurrects the much-missed The Rakes with its energetic strumming and candid lyrics on the fairer sex.
The Vaccines are also a dab hand at ploughing through shoegazey epics, such as the grandiose Blow It Up and the dizzying All In White.
But what stops The Vaccines from breaking through the ceiling of mediocrity is their inconsistency. For every catchy pop track (Wreckin’ Bar, If You Wanna), there’s dreary filler (Wetsuit, Under Your Thumb).
Also, Young clearly has the talent to unleash his emotions and inner-most feelings onto paper in some tracks, but in others the lyrics seem rushed and half-hearted.
Post Break-Up Sex is a song that should reflect the fragile, mind-fuck of break-ups; the insecurity, the fear, the sorrow, the sense of loss – we’ve all been there. Yeah, the lyrics are on par (I can barely look at you, don’t tell me who you lost it to/Didn’t we say we had a deal? Didn’t I say how bad I feel?). Unfortunately, the end result here is dry, insipid and rarely goes above second gear.
There’s no denying WDYEFTV? is a solid, if uninspiring debut, but the hype surrounding The Vaccines and regular mainstream airplay will ensure success, regardless of how good the music is.
So I guess the question that needs to be asked is “what can we expect from The Vaccines future?” Hopefully an album of consistent quality, either consistently great or consistently shit. Either way, it’ll be a hell of a lot easier to write about.

A typical Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All post

2011-03-02T12:14:00.001-08:00

Swaaaaag.
IT’S been a manic week on the announcements front for post-rap, hot-on-everyone’s-tongues sensations Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All .
First, underground blog Altered Zones premiered Toro y Moi’s sinister-yet-stripped down remix of Tyler, the Creator’s French – the stand-out slab of in-your-face anger from last year’s critically-acclaimed Bastard.
And a little while later, AZ’s sister site Pitchfork announced MellowHype signed to label Fat Possum, while reporting the remastered version of BlackenedWhite will be released this summer.
Luminous Plectrum believes the future is odd, very odd.

Listen: Tyler, The Cretor -- French (Toro y Moi remix)

....and why not check out Odd Future's first live TV performance on US chat show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. It's awesome.

PS I Love You featuring Diamond Rings -- Leftovers

2011-02-24T13:50:00.000-08:00

CAN it get any better than this? PS I Love You teaming up with Diamond Rings? No friends, it cannot. This powerhouse packs a guitar-driven punch to the cranium. A sound akin to the result of a Cribs-cum-Vaccines affair, Leftovers is proof beautiful partnerships lead to gorgeous creations.

Artist spotlight: Pop/Rock/Punk/Electronic

2011-02-10T04:38:00.000-08:00

Name: Pop/Rock/Punk/Electronic
Based: Gloucestershire
For fans of: Mirrors, Human League, Kraftwerk, Gene

WITH a name like Pop/Rock/Punk/Electronic, you’d hope young Finlay Shakespeare had the technical ability, and cajones, to pull off what is essentially a one-man-band for the 21st century.
Thankfully, the Gloucestershire-based musician/producer/all round top guy pulls it off with ease and manages to merge all the genres in his act’s abstract name choice into a pulsating package.
James Blake is 2011’s golden boy for his rather special self-titled genre-bending debut – primarily for producing it all himself – but there’s no reason not to suggest Pop/Rock/Punk/Electronic can follow the same route.
Luminous Plectrum took time out to talk a little more with Finlay about his influences and where he sees himself in five years time.

Luminous Plectrum: Who do you sound like?
Pop/Rock/Punk/Electronic: An amalgam of indie rock, synth pop and abstract electronica. Foals meets Travelogue-era Human League. Laser-injected guitars cut against shortwave radio. Tape loops played alongside digital drum machines.

LP: What are/were your influences?
P/R/P/E: A lot of the typical late 70s/early 80s New Wave and Synth Pop acts - Associates, Japan, OMD, Talking Heads, Kraftwerk, Public Image Limited - but also a lot of current bands, especially those pushing the boundaries of what can be considered commercial. Battles, The Redneck Manifesto, Metronomy, Tortoise and LCD Soundsystem spring to mind.

LP: Have you ever considered to expand the act into a band, or are you most comfortable performing as a solo artist?
P/R/P/E: There have been attempts, but the musical result is always so far away from what was originally intended that it becomes another project within itself, not that that's a bad thing however. It's difficult to find people that have the same musical ideas, influences and attitudes to how music can be written, performed, recorded, etc. though.

LP: How did you come up with the name P/R/P/E? Is it a fair description of the music you produce?
P/R/P/E: I had recorded the first few tracks for the debut album and needed a name for this new project - I was aiming to draw from all the areas of music that I personally enjoy listening to and approach each area equally within the writing and recording process. "Pop/Rock/Punk/Electronic" was written on a box of records I had been sifting through earlier that week and I decided the name was perfect. It instantly states the manifesto for the music I create, and the visual angularity fits well enough to my sound too.

LP: Do you play live often? Have you got any future gigs lined up?
P/R/P/E: I've played live a handful of times and it's something I'd love to do more often, yet local gig promoters never seem to be 100% committed to what they're doing. The last gig I was set to play was cancelled weeks before the show itself due to ticket sales, though the promoters didn't seem to realise that most of their audience would be paying on the door. Unfortunately nothing in the near future is scheduled performance-wise, though I'm constantly looking for new outlets for gigs.

LP: You're based in Gloucestershire - what's the music scene like in your area?
P/R/P/E: It's alright, typical small city music scene really. There's the local festivals - 2000 Trees, Walk The Line, Cheltenham Jazz - but nothing brilliantly diverse. Bristol had some brilliant inner-city festivals a few years ago, but alas they've all been wiped out through financial difficulties, etc. The venues themselves are quite diverse however, if not the acts they put on. Gloucester Guildhall and Cheltenham Town Hall have had quite a few big names playing over the last few years, while the indie venues like The Two Pigs and The Night Owl in Cheltenham give local bands their chance to play. There's some big things coming in the next couple of years though.

LP: Where would you like to see yourself in the next five years?
P/R/P/E: I'd like to be working with other people, helping to create something a little different for the mainstream music scene.

Listen to P/R/P/E: Myspace

We at Luminous Plectrum HEART new music and are always interested in promoting the freshest new talent. If you would like to be featured like P/R/P/E, e-mail luminous_plectrum@hotmail.co.uk or follow us on Twitter @luminousplectrm

Album covers recreated using Lego

2011-02-05T01:24:00.000-08:00

WE spotted this in The Guardian on Wednesday and thought it was too good not to share with everyone.
If you missed it, the daily ran a small article on 21-year-old Aaron Savage's genius idea to recreate his favourite album covers using £100-worth of the iconic toy bricks.
Here are a selection:

Muse -- Absolution
Dizzee Rascal -- Boy in da Corner
Queen -- Queen 2
For more, visit Aaron's Flickr page.

Gauntlet Hair announce tour with Neon Indian and....SLEIGH BELLS

2011-01-25T14:09:00.000-08:00

LUMINOUS Plectrum favourites Gauntlet Hair have announced they will be touring with Neon Indian and current fad act Sleigh Bells in May.
Details are a little sketchy but the Colorado-based duo, whose I Was Thinking... was our favourite song of 2010, announced on their Facebook page today that the tour would be going ahead.
Great news, and this should mean Gauntlet Hair are a shoe-in for heightened exposure in what should be a fantastic 2011.

Album Review: The Go! Team -- Rolling Blackouts

2011-01-20T11:02:00.000-08:00

LISTENING to The Go! Team’s Rolling Blackouts is like going to a fireworks display in the pouring rain – a brief flash of excitement before fizzling out into a damp squalor of despair.
The Brighton-based collective’s third outing does little to distant itself from its predecessors – the stunning Thunder, Lightning, Strike and the stop-start Proof of Youth – but fails to better them either.
It’s as if the sextet sets a goal to be as garish and wild as possible with each release, throwing an Arabian bazaar-full of samples, noises, beats, and screams into a defective blender.
Opener T.O.R.N.A.D.O is a headache inducing spelling lesson and it doesn’t get much better with the over-frenetic and off key The Running Range and schizophrenic hip-hop of Voice Yr Choice.
There are some exceptions, however. Buy Nothing Day is a cherished embrace with sickly sweet girl indie and the warmth emitting from the bubbly Ready To Go Steady is the perfect remedy for the headache T.O.R.N.A.D.O erupted earlier.
The Go! Team can learn from this. They are much more alluring outfit when they try to create simplistic pop rather than piling the entire buffet onto one plate.

Cold War Kids -- Mine is Yours (Passion Pit remix)

2011-01-19T12:38:00.000-08:00

War, what is it good for?
COLD War Kids, the slightly insipid four-piece that had a couple of God-inspired hits back in 2006, are back this year with new album Mine is Yours.
Thankfully, Passion Pit have stepped in to give its title track a true 80s teen romcom make-over jam-packed with theatrical synths and electro drum beats.
You’ll wish John Hughes was still alive to feature it in a Ferris Bueller’s Day Off remake.

British Sea Power stream new album Valhalla Dancefloor

2011-01-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

What a happy start to the new year!
BRIGHTON art-rockers British Sea Power have been kind enough to allow free streaming of Valhalla Dancefloor - the follow up to 2008's marvellous Do You Like Rock Music?
Luminous Plectrum cannot wait to put our ear goggles on and immerse ourselves.
Click the links below to enjoy:
Valhalla Dancefloor streaming at The Guardian
Valhalla Dancefloor streaming at The Onion

Luminous Plectrum's Top 50 Songs of 2010

2010-12-21T13:56:00.001-08:00

50.Big Boi feat. Cutty –- Shutterbug

OUTKAST'S Big Boi produced one of 2010’s finest hip-hop albums in Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty and Shutterbug was arguably the highlight. Thick with an erogenous bass line, Shutterbug is punchy, intelligent hip-hop that reverberates through the senses long after each listen.
Listen: Big Boi feat Cutty -- Shutterbug

49. Daft Punk -- Derezzed

HOW long did we wait for new Daft Punk material? Five years or something? I was a shame it came in the form of their stench-ridden soundtrack to uber-flop Tron: Legacy but at least Derezzed was a beacon of excitement, reminding us of just what we’ve been missing from the techno pioneers.
Listen: Daft Punk -- Derezzed

48. Best Coast - Crazy For You

THIS time last year, Best Coast’s Beth Cosentino was a little known entity. Fast forward 12 months and she’s a pin-up for oestrogen-driven indie pop. Crazy For You exhibits the songstress at full pining mode, yearning for her beau (I can’t do anything without you, I can’t do anything with you) over a scorching, summery backing track.
Listen: Best Coast -- Crazy For You

47. Vampire Weekend -- Giving Up The Gun

As Luminous Plectrum reported in March, Giving Up the Gun is Contra’s golden boy. It’s a supersonic beauty that mixes space age effects with a pummelling bass line. It showed Vampire Weekend are willing to dabble in varying soundscapes; eager to move forward and progress with every release.
Listen: Vampire Weekend -- Giving Up The Gun

46. Les Savy Fav -- Dirty Knails

A TYPICALLY raucous track from the well-travelled behemoths complete with complimentary ace guitar riffage and gargantuan vocals from frontman Tim Harrington.
Listen: Les Savy Fav -- Dirty Knails

45. Foals -- Miami

FOALS followed up 2008’s dire Antidotes with this year’s surprise package Total Life Forever. The album’s first single Miami is a stripped-cum-funk-filled effort that’s as hot as the beach-kissed city itself.
Listen: Foals -- Miami

44. Cee-Lo Green -- Fuck You

OK, Cee-Lo released one of this year’s stand-out tracks – before it was cruelly raped by all mainstream outlets from every angle. In fact, the ‘Forget You’ version is so overplayed it’s difficult to remember the original edit was an expletive-ridden joy. It’s hard not to hate it.
Listen: Cee-Lo Green -- Fuck You

43. Phantogram -- When I'm Small

THE dark and brooding When I'm Small is definitely a favourite track from Phantogram’s acclaimed album Eyelid. You can immediately draw comparisons to Dangermouse's stripped down style (think the production on Beck's Modern Guilt) but it's Sarah Barthel's chilling vocals that propels it into something heartfelt.
Listen: Phantogram -- When I'm Small

42. Crystal Castles featuring Robert Smith -- I'm Not In Love

THE scorching remake of I’m Not in Love, featuring the iconic vocals of Robert Smith, was thrust upon us towards the end of the year and rejuvenates the original. It’s a cataclysm of sounds created in Crystal Castle’s cathartic style.
Listen: Crystal Castles featuring Robert Smith -- I'm Not In Love

41. Diamond Rings -- Something Else

LUMINOUS Plectrum's song of 2009 was Diamond Rings’ All Yr Songs, so it’s understandable John O’Regan could feel aggrieved at finding his work placed at 41st this year (yeah, like he’d ever read this). But it’s been a solid year for the former D’Ubervilles front man with the release of his debut album Special Affections. Something Else is a brooding, confident number backed by a basic drum machine beat, rising synths and palatable guitar riffs. O’Regan is one of the most interesting solo acts around at the moment.
Listen: Diamond Rings -- Something Else

40. Doctor P -- Sweet Shop

DUBSTEP has transformed itself into radio-friendly material in 2010 and Doctor P’s Sweet Shop musters together all the original ingredients of the genre. Sweet Shop brings mid-90s house back to the fold thanks to its looped-piano riff and sickly vocals of "take me higher" before the doc submerges it in muddy bass and gritty beats.
Listen: Doctor P -- Sweet Shop

39. Crocodiles -- Sleep Forever

SLEEP Forever is a grandiose shout out to British post-punk, blending together Jesus and the Mary Chain with a smattering of Stone Roses, sprinkled with Inspiral Carpets. Huge.
Listen: Crocodiles -- Sleep Forever

38. Jokers of the Scene -- Revolting Joks

WITH a bass line so thick it’s like chocolate Frijj, Revolting Joks is a frantic underground club anthem that should blow dance mainstream players David Guetta and Tiesto away. It doesn’t but based on the strength of this track, Jokers of the Scene should be the dance act to watch in 2011.
Listen: Jokers of the Scene -- Revolting Joks

37. The Walkmen -- Angela Surf City

HARD-WORKING Yanks The Walkmen remain as invigorating and engaging as they did when unleashing breakout single The Rat, but have matured into an malleable outfit capable of producing varied new material. Angela Surf City is a liquor-fuelled party with your closest friends; loud, proud and wild.
Listen: The Walkmen -- Angela Surf City

36. MGMT -- I Found a Whistle

I FOUND a Whistle is, without a doubt, the band at its most emotional ebb. It’s a glorious heartbreaking, stomach churning epic that’s destined for the ending credits for the next chick-flick staring Robert Pattinson.
The duo sing: “I’ve got a pistol that’s aimed at your heart/and on dark nights when the moon is right/I could show you the head attached with a scarf/aerophane sorceress, at home obeying the fates/when it's gone, has it gone all the way?” – lyrics that manage to mix such bittersweet melancholy with surreality that only they could get away with.
Listen: MGMT -- I Found a Whistle

35. No Age -- Depletion

DUO No Age wowed with their gritty sophomore release Everything in Between this year and Depletion is the pinnacle of their backs-to-the-wall punk ethics. Guitars and drums complement each other perfectly to conjure raw emotion that’ many have failed to capture this year. A dizzying effort.
Listen: No Age -- Depletion

34. Janelle Monae -- Cold War

JANELLE Monae has had a stand-out year as she continues her ascent to mega stardom. Cold War is an energised and emotive delight that exhibits her every talent.
Listen: Janelle Monae -- Cold War

33. Flying Lotus -- ...And The World Laughs With You

FEATURING the instantly recognisable vocals of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, …And the World Laughs With You is a psychotic mind-fuck, forcing the listener to duck and dive through a warzone of spaced-out effects and liberating bass.
Listen: Flying Lotus -– And The World Laughs With You

32. Arcade Fire -- We Used to Wait

THE piano stabs introducing We Used to Wait were heard around the world earlier this year. Arcade Fire smothered this track all over its marketing campaign for The Suburbs, from the mouth-watering teasers to the quite wonderful video. We Used to Wait is The Suburbs’ crowning moment and did more than enough to whet the appetite with its massive bass drums and spine-tingling rising strings.
Listen: Arcade Fire –- We Used to Wait

31. !!! -- Jamie, My Intentions Are

JAMIE, My Intentions Are Bass does exactly what it says on the tin, combining slick bass work with 70s liquid guitar strums.
Listen: !!! – Jamie, My Intentions Are Bass

30. Interpol -- Barricade

INTERPOL have been critically panned this year but tension-filled Barricade is one of the best songs they’ve produced since Antics. Yeah, we originally slated it when first leaked but it soon grew on our souls like a wart. A wart in black shades.
Listen: Interpol –- Barricade

29. Porcelain Raft -- Tip of Your Tongue

TIP of Your Tongue by Porcelain Raft, aka Mauro Remiddi, is a hazy, sun-drenched pop track spliced with soft, heart-felt vocals. Glorious.
Listen: Porcelain Raft –- Tip of Your Tongue

28. Deerhunter -- Desire Lines

IT may start off a bit Arcade Fire-esque, but Deerhunter’s stomping Desire Lines touches on festival-closing status. Bradford Cox’s Deerhunter produced one of 2010’s melodic and sumptuous efforts; richly layered and emphatically blissful.
Listen: Deerhunter -- Desire Lines

27. White Rose Movement -- Helsinki

THIS London post-punk collective have produced an electro banger with Helsinki. It's huge and is so close to a floor-filler remix. Forget about the Big Pink with all their haircuts and jeans, it's this sort of music that deserves success. They've been around a while and maybe it's Helsinki that can finally unleash them to the masses.
Listen: White Rose Movement –- Helsinki

26. Matthew Dear -- Monkey

CLAUSTROPHOBIC electro from Matthew Dear, Monkey is rife with thick bass and Dear’s distorted vocals. Fab stuff.
Listen: Matthew Dear -- Monkey

25. Dreamend -- Where You Belong

DREAMEND'S concept album So I Ate Myself Bite by Bite is a strange, but alluring, concept album that throws the listener into the mind of a warped murderer. Where You Belong is, oddly, a refreshing and upbeat tune that could easily find itself on the soundtrack of a film like 50 Days of Summer, or something like that. With fast paced acoustic guitar strums and a warm organ line, Where You Belong grows into a pulsating sing-a-long.
Listen: Dreamend – Where You Belong

24. Japandroids -- Younger Us

2010 was the year Japandroids rubber-stamped their maturity as artists. Last year’s Post-Nothing album was an all-out, energetic punk fest from start to finish. No gimmicks, just pure musicianship. Younger Us is a triumphant return from the Vancouver two-piece and thrusts humungous drums and energetic and exciting guitar work from their live performances onto one uplifting record.
Listen: Japandroids -- Younger Us

23. DJ Fresh -- Gold Dust (Flux Pavilion remix)

THE best remix Luminous Plectrum has heard all year.
A word of warning: please wear a fire proof mask before listening to this - the bass is face-meltingly off the scale!
Listen: DJ Fresh -- Gold Dust (Flux Pavilion remix)

22. Villagers -- Becoming a Jackal

IT has been some year for Irishman Conor J O’Brien. Becoming a Jackal sold well and earned his band a slot on Jools Holland. Oh, and a Mercury Music Prize nomination. Becoming a Jackal, from their eponymous album, is a sumptuous shanty complete with O’Brien’s soft but enchanting vocals and whirring backing track. This kind of popular folk puts the horrid Mumford and Sons to shame.
Listen: Villagers -- Becoming a Jackal

21. Male Bonding -- Year's Not Long

MALE Bonding sent our pulses racing with the release of Year’s Not Long in 2010. It’s a storming melange of barely audible vocals over a powerful punk and grunge melodies. What’s so great about Male Bonding is that they are British and not many acts from this fair isle have made it on to this list. Male Bonding capture their influences, early grunge and punk, to create a buzzing, heavily distorted, racket. And what a fucking beautiful racket it is.
Listen: Male Bonding -– Year’s Not Long

20. Avey Tare -- Oliver Twist

ANIMAL Collective’s Avey Tare released one of the darkest albums of 2010 – a far cry from the work of his band mate Panda Bear. The breathtaking Oliver Twist bares the remarkably similar pristine production of Burial's genre-breaking Untrue, encapsulating a dusty, heart-racing dubstep drum beat and suffocating ambience to evoke a punishingly claustrophobic but superlative sound.
Listen: Avey Tare -– Oliver Twist

19. Wavves -- Idiot

WAVVES doesn’t really care if you like him or not, but thank god LP loves him so. Idiot is a gargantuan work of buff surf rock pumped full of pig semen. In the ilk of tracks from Nirvana’s masterpiece In Utero, Idiot is a screaming success.
Listen: Wavves -– Idiot

18. Cosmo Jarvis -- Gay Pirates

Check out my review of Cosmo Jarvis’ Gay Pirates here: http://soundblab.com/content/content/view/id/3058
Listen: Cosmo Jarvis -- Gay Pirates

17. The National -- Anyone's Ghost

THE tunes were few and far between on The National’s surprisingly below-par High Violet but luckily the haunting Anyone’s Ghost manages to spew its genius ectoplasm. The dry, sombre vocals of Matt Berninger are a particular high-point, as ever, and the enchanting strings create the perfect soundtrack to a night in a spooky mansion.
Listen: The National -– Anyone’s Ghost

16. The Drums –- It Will All End In Tears

IT Will All End In Tears exhibits the beauty of minimalist pop baring limitless potential. The Drums have had a huge year based on pop-tastic songs such as Let’s Go Surfing and Best Friend but it’s the 80s-tinged It Will All End in Tears that suggests the three-piece are anything but chart fodder. It won’t end in tears for Jonny Pierce and co. One of 2010’s best love songs.
Listen: The Drums –- It Will All End In Tears

15. Yeasayer -- O.N.E

A MULTITUDE of instruments: check. Otherworldly sound effects: check. A bone-crunching bass line: check. Yeasayer’s O.N.E is what you’d expect a native tribe in the African outback to sound like if they were given instruments from another dimension.
Listen: Yeasayer –- O.N.E

14. Keepaway –- Yellow Wings

ARE you Animal Collective in disguise? This Brooklyn three-piece would probably go pink in the face if they heard you say that but it’s no bad thing. Yellow Wings bares a resemblance to untouchable Feels-era AC but it’s a terrifically absorbing, bouncing orb that’s been crafted by switched-on minds.
Listen: Keepaway -- Yellow Wings

13. Liars -- Scissor

LIARS have based their career on fucking with our heads. Listening to them is a bit like that black stuff Marmite. Some people love them, some people hate them. Admittedly, sometimes listening to Sisterworld can feel like doing a press up with a sumo wrestler on your back but with a little more persistence you'll reap the benefits (and a stronger backbone). Sisterworld is freaky, but that comes with the territory and Scissor is this year’s blockbuster thriller.
Listen: Liars –- Scissor

12. Surfer Blood -- Swim

SWIM is a core piece of anthemic rock, doused in Californian sunshine. A perfect soundtrack to those adrenaline-fuelled stints trying to ride those huge crashing waves. Swim submerges you.
Listen: Surfer Blood –- Swim

11. Sleigh Bells -- Infinity Guitars

SLEIGH Bells released their debut album called Treats this year – and what a fitting title that was. It was full of them and Infinity Guitars was the cherry on top of the cake. If Sleigh Bells, aka Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss, are the future of noise-pop, Infinity Guitars is their anthem – an ear-drum perforating anthem.
Listen: Sleigh Bells –- Infinity Guitars

10. Rusko –- Hold On (Sub Focus remix)

SUB Focus’ head-thumping remix of 'Hold On' by Rusko is a dramatic, breathtaking scorcher with the fruitful tones of Amber Coffman. Dubstep at its finest.
Listen: Rusko –- Hold On (Sub Focus remix)

9. Minks -- Funeal Song

RELEASED in June, Minks’ Funeral is a rustic, Cure-esque delight complete with dizzying synths and raw vocals. Yeah, it’s got a rather macabre title, but Funeral Song possess a buoyant summer sound that would brighten up any wake.
Listen: Minks –- Funeral Song

8. Crystal Castles -- Baptism

THE cathartic Baptism portrays Crystal Castles at their anarchic best. Alice Glass inaudibly squeals “This is your baptism, and you can’t forgive them” over a Europop-esque melody that chops into abrasive distortion and reverb. This will change you.
Listen: Crystal Castles –- Baptism

7. Spoon -- I Saw the Light

THE bluesy I Saw The Light kicks off with a laboured pace with Britt Daniel offering the devilish guitar-rifts before a huge key change midway through transforms it into a totally different track altogether. A forceful piano, Eno’s basic drum beat and a frantic guitar battle conclude one of Spoon’s most lavish efforts.
Listen: Spoon -- I Saw the Light

6. Wolf Parade –- What Did My Lover Say? (Why Did It Have To Go This Way)

WHY did it have to go this way? Last two weeks ago, one of the best acts of the 00s Wolf Parade placed themselves on permanent hiatus. Tears were shed but thanks for the memories. Wolf Parade’s apocalyptic What Did My Lover Say? (Why Did It Have To Go This Way) is typically huge and enchanting. If they do decide to call it a day for good (which is likely), this is a fitting send off.
Chilling, huge, powerful guitars. Wide scale.
Listen: Wolf Parade -- What Did My Lover Say? (Why Did It Have To Go This Way)

5. CEO -- Come With Me

FORGET Robyn, this is Scandinavian pop perfection. Eric Berglund, one half of Swedish supremos The Tough Alliance, cast his spell on this abstract pop that dazzles the soul.
Listen: CEO -- Come With Me

4. Restless People -- Don't Back Down

THIS is probably the most surprising entry of the entire list. The relatively unknown Restless People have treated us with this up-tempo melodic anthem, complete with “gaba gaba heys”. If there’s one song that is sure to stay with you long after this list, it’ll probably be this.
Listen: Restless People –- Don’t Back Down

3. LCD Soundsystem -- All I Want

ALL I Want is This Is Happening’s piece du resistance, the song they’ve been threatening to make since the band’s inception.
It could be said that All I Want is another nod to David Bowie, this time paying tribute to his emotion-packed extravaganza Heroes.
It’s the addictive piano melody, which was evident in 2007’s classic All My Friends, and the guitar-bending riff that propels it a higher status.
Listen: LCD Soundsystem –- All I Want

2. Kanye West -- Runaway

IT has been a tough year for our Kanye. From the Taylor Swift hijacking at the VMAs last year to the bizarre Twitter meltdown in the summer, it seemed as if the graduate was losing it. But he put that all behind him, treating us with the GOOD Friday releases in the weeks leading up to the release of this year’s, and possibly the entire decade’s, masterpiece – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Starting with a dead piano chime, Runaway evolves into a triumphant “middle-finger” to everyone whoever doubted him. Runaway is 9 minutes of sheer confidence; a track of unrivalled magnitude. He is 2010.
Listen: Kanye West -– Runaway

1. Gauntlet Hair -- I Was Thinking

DESPITE gushing over Runaway, Kanye didn’t make it to the top spot. BBFs Gauntlet Hair, hailing from Colorado, have a huge future following the release of our song of 2010 – I Was Thinking. They unleashed this loud and jagged belter, full of distorted vocals and the tinniest of guitar melodies back in April. There may be only two of them but Gauntlet Hair manage to transform themselves into a tour-de-force of wonderful noise. This is a fantastically layered song that progresses into something huge.
Listen: Gauntlet Hair -- I Was Thinking

Mogwai return, announce new album and tour details

2010-12-20T08:11:00.000-08:00

Mog-wai not?
DISTINCTIVE Scottish art-rock kings Mogwai return in 2011 with new album Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will – quite.
The album is set for a release date of February 14 and is set to be a rather dark affair, featuring tracks like Death Rays, George Square Thatcher Death Party and How To Be A Werewolf. Definitely one for Hallowe’en, we think.
In what is sure to be something to savour, they have also announced an 18-date UK and Ireland tour in January and February.

Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will track list:

White Noise
Mexican Grand Prix
Rano Pano
Death Rays
San Pedro
Letters To The Metro
George Square Thatcher Death Party
How To Be A Werewolf
Too Raging To Cheers
You're Lionel Richie

UK and Ireland tour dates 2011:

26 January: Stirling Tolbooth (www.ticketsoup.com/01786274000)
27 January: Paisley Town Hall (www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/onlinebooking/01418871010)
28 January: Perth Theatre (www.horsecross.co.uk/01738621031)
29 January: Aberdeen Music Hall (www.boxofficeaberdeen.com/01224641122)
30 January: Glasgow Grand Ole Opry (www.seetickets.com/08712200260)
13 February: Belfast Mandela Hall (www.ticketmaster.ie/08448472455)
14 February: Galway Radisson Hotel (www.ticketmaster.ie/0818719300)
15 February: Dublin Olympia Theatre (www.ticketmaster.ie/0818719300)
17 February: Bournemouth O2 Academy (www.ticketweb.co.uk/08444772000)
18 February: Cardiff University (www.seetickets.com/02920230130)
19 February: Bristol O2 Academy (www.seetickets.com/08704444400)
20 February: Leeds O2 Academy (www.ticketweb.co.uk/084447 2000)
21 February: Edinburgh Picture House (www.seetickets.com/08712200260)
23 February: Oxford, The Regal (www.kililive.com/www.tctmusic.co.uk)
24 February: Birmingham Institute (www.seetickets.com/0870 264 3333, www.ticketweb.co.uk/08444771000, www.hmvtickets.com / 08432210100)
25 February: London Brixton O2 Academy (www.seetickets.com/08702643333, www.stargreen.com/02077348932, www.ticketweb.co.uk/0844 477 1000)
26 February: Manchester Academy (www.seetickets.com/08702643333, www.ticketline.co.uk/08448889991) 27 February: Gateshead, The Sage (www.thesagegateshead.org/01914434661)

The Drums -- Me and the Moon (Matthew Dear remix)

2010-12-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

BEAT magician Matthew Dear has cast his spell on The Drums' Me and the Moon - the latest hit from their debut album to be given the remix treatment.
Dear places the delightfully up-tempo 80s-soaked joint into a blender and places a thumping bassline over Jonny Pierce's chopped vocals.
Chilled bliss.
Click to hear more remixes via their Soundcloud page. The Drums remixes by Anorak London

Live review: The Drums -- Anson Rooms, Bristol, Friday, November 26, 2010

2010-11-28T11:16:00.000-08:00

The Drums before they were Kess-less.
THE Drums were so hot during their set at the Anson Rooms in Bristol, the building had to be evacuated.
Seriously.
Three quarters through the set, the fire alarm forced the band off stage during a rendition of We Tried, in which front man Jonny Pierce sings "We tried, and we died" - rather fitting for the situation.
Pierce looked suitably annoyed at being told to leave the stage, throwing his mic down with disdain, but the audience remained unperturbed by the fact there could actually be a fire in the building!
The cause of the alarm was never established but after a few minutes of waiting in the sub-zero temperatures outside the venue, the now disappointingly depleted crowd was allowed back in, and the New York City four-piece re-opened the set with, what they described as, a surging punk-rock version of the pop-tastic Best Friend.
The Drums were on-form prior to the disruption. Pierce, who has evolved into an intriguing, yet charismatic, frontman had the entire Anson Rooms audience transfixed on his flamboyantly captivating Morrissey/Ian Curtis stage presence.
The four-piece, now featuring live guitarist and Russell Lissack look-a-like Tom Haslow, don't appear to be fazed by Adam Kessler's departure earlier in the year and pulled-off a gig sure to stay in the minds of all that attended for months to come.
After entering the stage with aplomb, Pierce addressed the eager audience that it was extra special to be back in Bristol since The Drums' last appearance in January - they were actually last in the city in February, I was there, but let's not be picky.
Submarine, a favourite from 2009's Summertime! EP, was a welcome addition, breaking the first collective beads of sweat, before the upbeat Book of Stories, a homage to perfectly crafted 60s pop, had everyone singing along with its infectious and melancholy, chorus.
Let’s Go Surfing, last year's radio-friendly breakthrough hit, predictably triggered the raucous crowd into life, and a solid performance of I Need Fun In My Life kept everyone engrossed.
After the impromptu break, The Drums were rejuvenated, despite half the crowd deciding to head back home, but it created a more intimate atmosphere and gave the audience a sense of sharing something a little bit special.
The anthemic anthem Forever and Ever, Amen was a delight; Pierce falling to his knees to repeat "forever, and ever, and ever..." over Connor Hanwick's mesmerising drumming and Jacob Graham's hypnotic bass line, but it was Down by the Water that was the true show stopper, exhibiting Pierce's wonderful vocal range and grew into an explosive, emotional conclusion, and presented the enthralled crowd something to savour.
The Drums are possibly one of the most enjoyable live outfits around at the moment and much of this is down to the talents of Jonny Pierce, a truly astonishing frontman that will only mature in stature as an artist. If they can carry on producing the kind of music that has made them so endearing, there is every reason to suggest they will headline much bigger venues.
Pierce and co rounded-off with the rousing The Future, their debut LP’s huge closing number, and, at the end of this gig, everyone is looking forward to what their “future” may bring.

NME announces Awards 2011 Shows, line-up revealed

2010-11-23T05:26:00.000-08:00

Mystery Jets set for NME Awards Shows
NME has revealed its line-up for the up-coming Awards 2011 Shows in February, which, predictably is full of dreary indie - apart from the odd gem.
Initial Luminous Plectrum highlights include the unmistakable Les Savy Fav, beautifully experimental Caribou, the endearing Mystery Jets and the buzz-band of 2010 Factory Floor.

NME Awards 2011 Shows line-up and dates:

Feb 1: Metronomy – Heaven - £12.50
Feb 2: Los Campesinos!/Summer Camp – o2 Shepherds Bush Empire - £14
Feb 3: The Duke Spirit – Heaven - £12
Feb 9: Mystery Jets – o2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire - £15
Feb 11: White Lies/Crocodiles – o2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire - £17.50
Feb 15: The Naked and Famous – Heaven - £10.00
Feb 15: Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan/Cherry Ghost – o2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire - £18
Feb 16: Edwyn Collins – o2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire - £18
Feb 17: Miles Kane – Hoxton Bar And Kitchen - £9
Feb 17: Noah and the Whale – Koko - £17.50
Feb 18: Yuck/Cults – Bush Hall - £8
Feb 20: Carl Barat/The Heartbreaks/Foreign Office – o2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire - £16.50
Feb 21: Alex Winston – New Players Theatre - £8.50
Feb 21: Mona/Neon Trees – The Garage - £8.50
Feb 21: Warpaint/Twin Shadow – o2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire - £14
Feb 21: Frankie & The Heartstrings/Veronica Falls – Heaven - £10.00
Feb 22: Caribou/Factory Floor/Walls – o2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire - £12.50
Feb 22: Les Savy Fav – Heaven - £15.00

British Sea Power announce new album details

2010-11-16T12:48:00.000-08:00

BRITISH Sea Power make a much-welcomed return to the audio fray in January with the release of new album Valhalla Dancehall (what a name).
Do You Like Rock Music? BSP's last full-length effort and Luminous Plectrum's album of 2008, was an anthemic joy and we're anticipating Valhalla Dancehall will rock our stripy socks off.

British Sea Power -- Valhalla Dancehall:

1. Who's in Control
2. We Are Sound
3. Georgie Ray
4. Stunde Null
5. Mongk II
6. Luna
7. Baby
8. Living Is So Easy
9. Observe the Skies
10. Cleaning Out the Rooms
11. Thin Black Sail
12. Once More Now
13. Heavy Water

Download new track Living Is So Easy here, courtesy of Pitchfork.

-----------------------------

Readers of this site may have noticed it's been fairly quiet round here lately. I've been busy writing and working on various projects but fear not! I'm planning a complete overhaul of Luminous Plectrum in the new year and keep an eye out for the all important albums and tracks of the year posts in December.

Diplo & Lil Jon -- U Don't Like Me (Datsik remix)

2010-11-03T14:14:00.001-07:00

THIS mind-fuckingly brutal dubstep remix from Datsik of Diplo and Lil Jon's U Don't Like Me packs more punch than Clubber Lang.
With a stifled bassline as heavy as Rik Waller beached on your chest, gorging a greasy chip butty, this heart-stopping belter is a prime candidate for dirty dancefloors and dreams of naughtiness.
Props to on-line gods RCRD LBL for this track.

New video: The Drums -- Me and the Moon

2010-10-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

ONE of the acts of 2010 return with this fun-loving video for Me and the Moon.
Although it's the first video without Adam Kessler, The Drums remain effortlessly cool.

Beastie Boys announce Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 track list

2010-10-26T01:26:00.000-07:00

THE circus surrounding Beastie Boys' forthcoming album Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 continues to grow by the day.
In a statement issued on beastieboys.com, the trio announced the track listing for Part 2, scheduled for a spring 2011 release, will be pretty much the same as that of Part 1.
Let's hope it's worth the wait.

Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 track list:

Tadlock's Glasses
B-Boys In The Cut
Make Some Noise
Nonstop Disco Powerpack
OK
Too Many Rappers (featuring Nas)
Say It
The Bill Harper Collection
Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win (featuring Santigold)
Long Burn The Fire
Funky Donkey
Lee Majors Come Again
Multilateral Nuclear Disarmament
Pop Your Balloon
Crazy Ass Shit
Here's A Little Something For Ya

New track: Cee-Lo Green -- Old Fashioned

2010-10-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

CEE-LO Green follows-up his mega-smash Fuck You with Old Fashioned - the next hit from his up-coming album The Lady Killer.
Enjoy.

Keepaway -- Sideways Smile

2010-10-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

Keepaway from mentioning Animal Collective
KEEPAWAY exploded onto our radar earlier this year with the release of Yellow Wings, but its hazy, polyphonic ambience is sadly a distant memory in Sideways Smile.
Sideways Smile is more of a sideways step, sounding similar to a rough cut from one of Animal Collective's earlier albums.
But we can't be too harsh on Brooklyn three-piece. Keepaway remain one of 2010's most exciting discoveries and Kompetitor, the forthcoming free digital release, is sure to keep us occupied for a few months.

Kanye West's "banned" artwork

2010-10-18T05:01:00.000-07:00

KANYE West left an intriguing tweet just before I retired for my well-earned 40 winks last night – oh, the mires of maintaining a transatlantic relationship.
It read: “Yoooo they banned my album cover!!!!! Ima tweet it in a few...”
Well, he posted the “banned” cover to forthcoming My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy a couple of hours later and, within minutes, it was everywhere.
What the hell is it? It kinda looks how Kanye would look if he were morphed with Sonic the Hedgehog, getting jiggy with Ronald McDonald's winged mother in a drunken stupor.
He added: “In the 70s album covers had actual nudity... It's so funny that people forget that... Everything has been so commercialized now.”
They’ve done you a favour, Kanye. You were cooler when you wore a backpack.
Kanye seems to be the PR king and this revelation can only heighten the frenzy surrounding MBDTF’s release in November.
Luminous Plectrum cannot wait

Top five albums of 2009

2010-10-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

2009? Aren't you a bit late?
LUMINOUS Plectrum is busy compiling its end of year lists for 2010 and, while we're at it, here's a reminder of what tickled the fancies last year.

5. Wild Beasts – Two DancersI FEEL far too guilty to be putting this incredible piece of work at number five but, alas, that’s life. Wild Beasts have matured from 2008’s spellbinding Limbo, Panto, to release the beautiful Two Dancers, one of 2009’s greatest highlights. Hayden Thorpe has one of the most definitive, erratic and distinguishing voices in indie rock and clearly sets this band apart from the rest. They’ve grown from the rough and ready hits from Limbo Panto, which included Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants – arguably one of the greatest songs of the century - to produce immaculate, if a little unfashionable, masterpieces. Bassist Tom Fleming shares more of the vocals on this release and his deeper tones are welcome, but it will always be Thorpe’s punishing vocals that will propel this band to greatness. Think Kate Bush mixed with a little Sparks.
Stand out track: Hooting and Howling

4. Girls – AlbumWE had been waiting a while for Girls’ debut album and it hasn’t disappointed. This could have been my album of the year and it is a clear surf-rock classic for the 21st century (not in the way The Thrills were billed to be a few years back) but I guess I am just fonder of the three above it. Girls are exciting and Album is a joy to listen to. Its androgynous, drug-induced lyrics will push you deeper under Album’s skin with each listen. This is one enjoyable discovery.
Stand out track: Laura

3. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus PhoenixPHOENIX'S latest effort is pop music at its finest. The French rockers have built up a reputation as a band who can put a smile on anyone’s face with hook-driven Summer rock tunes and have put in a stellar effort in trying to succeed their previous and flawless release It’s Never Been Like That. The album is just over 30 minutes long but don’t let that put you off. It’s quality, not quantity and there is a hell of a lot of quality crammed into this beauty. Up-beat opener Lisztomania is one of the catchiest tracks of the year and sets a high precedent but 1901, Fences, Rome and Girlfriend ensure the sun is always shining when listening to this.
Stand out track: 1901

2. Future of the Left – Travels With Myself and AnotherTHIS album is visceral, vicious, vivacious and oh so victorious. We are all mourning the death of Mclusky but this confirms they really are dead. Explosive front man Andy Falkous is on absolute form screaming through alarmingly tight punk rock tracks such as Arming Eritrea, Chin Music and You Need Satan More Than He Needs You. If you haven’t checked out Future of the Left (formed of members from Mclusky and Jarcrew), you really must. FotL are definitely my favourite live act of this year and Travels With Myself and Another is album you won’t be able to take out of your stereo for some time. Prepare to be gripped.
Stand out track: You Need Satan More Than He Needs You

1. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post PavilionPICKING the number one slot was the most difficult part of this list. I thought long and hard as to whether Merriweather Post Pavilion deserved it…and it does by a long shot. To have been released in January and to still hold a significant of playing time on my iPod is something to be commended. It truly is their best effort yet and is a supersonic assault on the senses. They have released countless efforts prior to this but it seems AC have finally created a concise, majestic sound that could easily see them become one of the most important outfits in the past ten years. The wonderful opener, In The Flowers, is arguably one of the greatest music moments of the year. It starts off lazy but explodes into something utterly breathtaking. This is a special album and from the sound of the Fall To Be Kind EP, released earlier this month, it seems as if AC are going to get better and better.
Stand out track: Bluish

Diamond Rings -- Something Else

2010-10-17T12:30:00.001-07:00

Diamonds are forever.
JOHN O'Regan is having a storming 2010.
After releasing Luminous Plectrum's song of 2009 All Yr Songs towards the back end of last year, the Canadian's been very busy with new releases being thrust into our ear drums left, right and centre.
Something Else is a tight piece of indie pop and its low budget video reflects the song's sincerity.
This is essential viewing.
His anticipated debut album Special Affections is out on October 25.

John and Jehn announce UK tour dates

2010-10-13T15:05:00.000-07:00

ABSORBING French lo-fi duo John and Jehn will embark on a UK tour this November.
John and Jehn are building up a reputation for their electrifying live performances and recently toured with British Sea Power.

Tour dates:

November 15 - The Cooler Club, Bristol
November 16 - Old Blue Last, London
November 17 - Captains Rest, Glasgow
November 18 - The Deaf Institute, Manchester
November 19 - Moles, Bath
November 20 - Stealth/Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
November 22 - Forum, Sheffield
November 23 - Haymakers, Cambridge
November 24 - Coalition, Brighton

Artist spotlight: The Disappeared

2010-10-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

TO define Manchester, it would be sensible to say it’s a cultural hub that spawned some of the greatest and most important bands in music history.
Yeah, yeah, we can name drop all day (joydivisionthesmithsandmorrisseyneworderthedurutticolumnthefallbuzzcocksthestonerosesautechre….and breath) but what about the current Manchester bands gigging hard in front of a daunting backdrop that is the city’s illustrious music past?
The Disappeared are a four-piece indie/rock band that take the best bits of their predecessors and main influences (The Clash, Bloc Party, The Cribs, LCD Soundsystem) and package it into a fiercely infectious, guitar-driven sound – with attitude.
Songs Welcome Back, Take Me to Manhattan, Step It Up and Karen Silkwood are superbly well-written and already have the band’s stamp of quintessentially British catchy guitar hooks entwined with passionate vocals – which is even more impressive as they only formed in late 2008.
Take a slab of The Jam, sprinkle with a touch of Wire and gloss with Inspiral Carpets and you’ll have something pretty close to The Disappeared.
Luminous Plectrum took time out with The Disappeared’s Jeremy Santhouse, whose voice and vocal style is similar to Mark E Smith’s but clearer and with more conviction, to find out a bit more about them.

LP: Who do you sound like?
I think that, like most bands, we probably still sound like some of our influences. It's inevitable, really, for anyone working in any creative medium. I guess if you're a writer just starting out, you'll probably be writing a little in the style of your favourite author or journalist. Same if you're an artist or a musician. It takes time to find your own voice.
LP: Who are your influences?
Lyrically it started with people like Joe Strummer and Paul Weller. Both of them produced songs which changed my life and my understanding of the world. More recently, though, I think people like Mike Skinner, Jarvis Cocker, Guy Garvey and Alex Turner have all produced amazing work.

LP: What are your musical influences?
They tend to vary according to what I'm listening to. I'm very easily influenced. Right now I love the Cribs, Editors, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Queens of The Stone Age. Hmm, all quite "guitar-ey" too, I've just realised. I'm listening to a lot of Oasis again as well. And I keep re-discovering Revolver by the Beatles. It's my favourite Beatles album, because of the arrangements, and the sheer quality of the song-writing.

LP: Do you play live often? Have you got any future gigs lined up?
We've gigged a fair bit in the last 18 months, mostly around Manchetser and the North-West. One of our very first gigs was at Chorlton Arts Festival last year, which was slightly nerve-wracking! I'm just in the middle of writing some new songs now, so when they're finished we shall definitely be out gigging again.
LP: Where would you like to see yourselves in the next five years?
It'd be nice to think we'd be popular or well-known (which aren't necessarily the same thing). One of the big difficulties we face musically is the current X-Factor/Britain's Got Talent culture. It's empty, it's shallow and as Sting recently identified, it does little more than produce a succession of Mariah Carey/Whitney Houston/Boyzone clones. There's nothing original about that.

My upbringing was by courtesy of The Clash, The Jam and numerous other bands who made my head spin with excitement. Even today, I find very few bands putting out songs whose lyrics make me go "wow". Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys is a fine song writer; Mike Skinner of The Streets broke ground in his delivery and use of English, advancing on what Eminem had done some years previously. But a modern-day "Setting Sons" album? A 21st century "Sandinista" with that giant sweep of politics, history, social comment and rock'n'roll? Don't make me laugh. Nobody's even coming close.

Sure, you can find examples of folk bands and singer-songwriters who are prepared to put their hearts on their sleeves (Billy Bragg, I'm applauding you here). But where are the mainstream rock bands who are trying to take on the mass market with some intelligence? My list consists of the Manic Street Preachers, perhaps The Cribs too, but precious little else.

So here's the dilemma. Should I be writing songs to fill that gap? Listen to the songs on our website - I'm happy tackling the untouchables as Radio 1 might call them (politics or religion to name but two subjects). Or should I just say "fuck it" and stick to Moon/June, Love/Above and similar rhymes?

Actually I know that the answer is to stick to my guns, stay focussed and write about the stuff that's important to me. As Edwyn Collins says in A Girl Like You: "....Too many protest singers, not enough protest songs." Maybe *that's* part of what we need as an antidote to X Factor music: less of this empty vacuous rubbish and more protest songs, more commitment, more statements of intent. You can count me in.

You can listen to The Disappeared by clicking here.

We HEART new music. If you would like to have your band featured, e-mail luminous_plectrum@hotmail.co.uk

Gauntlet Hair -- Out, Don't...

2010-10-13T11:49:00.000-07:00

Running the gauntlet
GAUNTLET Hair follow up the thrilling I Was Thinking with this whirring example of luscious guitar-driven magic.
Following I Was Thinking’s formula of distorted, jagged axe wielding and dramatic, echoed vocals, Out, Don’t… fully justifies the enormous promise the duo exerts and exhibits astronomical aural euphoria.
These lads are possibly the most exciting act to come out of 2010.
You can find Out, Don’t… on Gauntlet Hair’s new EP Out, Don’t.../Heave via Mexican Summer.

Album review: 3OH!3 -- Streets of Gold

2010-10-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

WARNING: This album offends life itself
BRASH electro popsters 3OH!3 have delivered an album that’s perfectly polished but ultimately corrosive to the eardrums.
Streets of Gold, the third studio album from Colorado the two-piece, is jammed with loud, obnoxious pop tunes complete with ridiculous, sometimes deliberately confrontational, lyrics that offer less substance than an empty carrier bag.
The pair tell of stories brimmed with youthful confidence – which would be fine if Nathaniel Motte and Sean Foreman both weren’t in their mid to late 20s.
Déjà Vu boasts of drunken misogynistic debauchery as they complain of going to the same bars, chatting to the same girls and getting into the same shenanigans on their, quite clearly, fun-filled nights on the tiles.
The anthemic We Are Young could cause an uprising of trendy angst-ridden teens with lyrics like “we are young, we are young/we drink and fight and we love just because” but they up their song-writing calibre in House Party, chanting “Gonna have a house party in my house”.
For most of Streets of Gold, the listener will question whether if this is serious or a parody, but worryingly it seems as if they are trying to pass this off as plausible music. What's the point of taking the piss if The Lonely Island does it a million times better?
There is a plus side to the album – the synth-heavy backing tracks, with vicious hip-hop snare beats sound current and fresh and have been crafted with style.
The streets may be paved with gold for this platinum-selling duo but this album is a challenge from start to finish.

Album review: Disturbed -- Asylum

2010-10-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

ASYLUM, the fifth studio album from US hard rock titans Disturbed, is a record that offers less mobility than a straight jacket.
Disturbed have made a fortune sticking to the formula of David Draiman's ear-shredding vocals over thundering guitar riffs but it's all very much the same here.
Instrumental album opener Remnants maintains a steady pace before Asylum explodes into life with Mike Wengren's machine gun-esque foot drum beat and a thick, rumbling bass line.
But this has to be the album's only high-point as it sinks into a murky pool of mediocrity.
The gruesomely named The Infection starts promisingly with its breathtaking introduction but crumbles away without a whimper and the same can be said for Never Again, despite Draiman's thought-provoking lyrics on the holocaust.
The album's song titles are particularly morbid, such as Sacrifice, Crucified and Another Way To Die, but it all fits in perfectly with the suffocating, gloomy atmosphere the record conjures.
Heavy metal fans should love it but there's very little here for the easier listener to get excited about.

Bands that should have been bigger: Stellastarr*

2010-10-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

REJOICE! Luminous Plectrum returns.
DO you, like me, lie awake at night thinking which bands were cruelly denied indie world domination by the likes of The Killers, The Kaiser Chiefs and Kings of Leon? Damn you, NME.
While we're hearing the abomination that is Brandon Flowers' new solo material, it's an ideal time to sit back and remember the forgotten artists circa-2003/2004.
First up - Stellastarr*
Who? The new-wave New Yorkers repackage the excting aspects of Talking Heads and early R.E.M to cook-up a blistering energy that's as enthralling as frontman Shawn Christensen's dazzling vocals.
Their debut self-titled album, released in 2003, picked up relative success but the follow ups, Harmonies for the Haunted (2005) and Civilized (2009), have been largely and criminally ignored this side of the Atlantic.
It's a travesty that such talent should be overshadowed by tepid, watery wank.

Luminous Plectrum does Bestival!

2010-09-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

Bestival 2010 is here!
LUMINOUS Plectrum will be quiet for the next few days as it vacates to the sunny Isle of Wight for a weekend of majestic music from an astronomical line-up.
Check back here for all the round-up from arguably the greatest festival on the UK circuit.
Peace and fucking, believe.

Kanye West freaks out on Twitter

2010-09-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

IT seems as if Kanye West is having a breakdown on his Twitter account.
Is it him? Has his account been hacked?
Either way, it's intriguing reading!
Click here: http://twitter.com/kanyewest

Morrissey accused of racism again, calls Chinese "subspecies"

2010-09-04T01:13:00.000-07:00

THE often controversial former frontman of The Smiths and an icon for millions of adoring fans has put his foot in it again.
Morrissey, according to various media sources this morning, has apparently branded the Chinese race as a "subspecies".
His comments can be found in the Guardian's Weekend magazine interview with Simon Armitage and were in response to the treatment of animals and their welfare.
It's not the first time Mozza has been in this position, and will it be the last?
You can read his comments here.

Listen to Interpol's new self-titled album via Myspace

2010-09-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

SETTLE down Interpol fans, NYC's finest are streaming their new album on their Myspace page.
It seems as if they've introduced synths into their songs and the overall consensus on a first, brief listen is that it's very intriguing.
Let's hope it's a typical dark and gloomy affair from one of the best bands around.
Click here to listen.

The Drums cover Arcade Fire's We Used To Wait

2010-08-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

THE world is in an Arcade Fire frenzy at the moment and it seems as if The Drums have jumped on the bandwagon.
This live performance of the LP favourites covering the Canadian powerhouses We Used To Wait has sprung up on t'internet and it is an extremely intriguing listen.
It's been difficult to find out where this recording is from but I'd take a punt and suggest it was from their Reading Festival appearance on Sunday.
It's different but typically energetic. Have a listen via this link provided by Hypetrak.
The Drums - Used to Wait (Arcade Fire Cover) by Hypetrak
In other Arcade Fire news (hell, there is a lot of it), their new video for We Used To Wait is supposed to be a thing of wonder but it seems the street I grew up on is not long enough to reap its full rewards. Damn.
Try it yourself by clicking here. PLEASE NOTE: Do not try it using Firefox. Meltdown.

The Depreciation Guild launch UK tour

2010-08-31T12:38:00.000-07:00

Appreciate this.
BROOKLYN'S buzzing electro-rock fuzzsters bring their synthy sounds to the UK tomorrow for a mini-tour.

Tour dates:

September

1: Birmingham - Hare and Hounds
2: Manchester - Factory
3: Glasgow - Captains Rest
4: Leeds - Nation of Shopkeepers
5: Oxford - Jericho Tavern
6: London - The Social

The Walkmen cover R.E.M for the A.V Club

2010-08-31T12:20:00.000-07:00

The Walkmen cover R.E.M.THE Walkmen took time out ahead of their release of Lisbon to take part in The A.V. Club's enthralling Undercover series.
Choosing R.E.M's underrated Driver 8, from Fables of the Reconstruction, the band succeeds in putting their thick stamp on the Athens heroes' classic.
The hugely anticpated Lisbon is released on September 14 through Fat Possum.
Thanks to The A.V. Club for this video.

Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize: The Nominees - Part 2

2010-08-30T13:23:00.001-07:00

WELCOME to part two of Luminous Plectrum's preview of the Mercury Music Prize 2010.

Villagers – Becoming a Jackal

LADBROKES ODDS: 12/1

SITTING alongside an astronomical line up of Animal Collective, Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand could be a daunting prospect for some bands, but Conor O’Brien’s Villagers are a virtually unknown diamond among a rough of Domino starlets.
Villagers’ debut Becoming a Jackal has fully deserved its nomination with these dark, intense folk tracks.
That Day sounds like a Wilco cover (a good one at that) and I Saw The Dead is as gloriously glum as its title suggests but gallops into a dizzying orchestral thriller.
It won’t win but Becoming a Jackal will immerse itself in the exposure it richly deserves.

Foals – Total Life Forever

LADBROKES ODDS: 12/1

FOALS’ resurgent rise from drab indie imposters to indie mainstays has been truly remarkable.
2008’s Antidotes was forgettable. They tried to jump onto every popular British band at the time to concoct something listenable but failed – miserably.
Take Cassius for instance. It’s like a meow-meow intoxicated Klaxons in full-gurn mode. It’s ear-piercingly erratic.
But the material on Total Life Forever is exciting, tight and full of ideas.
First single Miami is catchy and has a killer guitar hook. If Franz Ferdinand hadn’t turned up seven years earlier with Take Me Out, this would have been a worldwide hit.
After Glow, Blue Blood and the blossoming 2 Tress show a band that has learned from its mistakes.
Perhaps they should be called Horses now? (CRINGE)

Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can

LADBROKES ODDS: 6/1

GREAT voice. Dull album. Britain is starved of true female stars and the talented Laura Marling deserves to be one of them but until she comes up with something catchy and memorable, Miss Marling is going to be lost in the airwaves.
I’d love to say more on this album but there’s little here to write about.

Wild Beasts – Two Dancers

LADBROKES ODDS: 5/1

ONE of the albums of 2009. Kendal art-rockers Wild Beasts released one of the albums of the 21st century with 2008’s outstanding Limbo Panto and managed to match it with the astonishing Two Dancers.
Bassist Tom Fleming takes a more prominent role in sharing vocal duties with awesome Hayden Thorpe and the results are delicious.
Hooting and Howling is a masterpiece of modern rock/pop, exhibiting Thorpe’s unmistakable vocals with an addictive guitar riff, while Fleming shows he is a more than capable singer on All The King’s Men as he bursts “Watch me! Watch me!” from the very depths of his stomach.
Two Dancers is a magnificent piece of work from start to finish and should finish head and shoulders above the other nominated albums.
*Two Dancers is Luminous Plectrum’s pick for Mercury Music Prize glory.

Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More

LADBROKES ODDS: 6/1

Click for Luminous Plectrum's view

Luminous Plectrum has yet to listen to the Kit Downes Trio album and, therefore, cannot provide an opinion or discuss their chances of winning. Sorry.

The Drums -- Down By The Water: Stereogum video premiere

2010-08-30T07:41:00.001-07:00

STEREOGUM has released the brand new video to The Drums' scorching ballad Down By The Water.
Click the link to enjoy: http://stereogum.com/489851/the-drums-down-by-the-water-video-stereogum-premiere/video/

Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize 2010: The Nominees - Part 1

2010-08-27T12:39:00.000-07:00

THE winner of the Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize 2010 is announced on September 7 and Luminous Plectrum is giving you a two part in-depth look at the nominees, and who we think will be crowned winners.

Biffy Clyro – Only Revolutions

LADBROKES ODDS: 14/1

BIFFY Clyro have become one of the most revered rock acts in the UK in the past couple of years and it’s difficult to understand why.
Only Revolutions is formulaic, derivative rock that offers nothing in terms of originality or enjoyment.
Biffy have managed to transform themselves from shamefully twee Scottish indie to this isle’s version of the Foo Fighters. Poo.
The songs on Only Revolutions are fodder for Radio One’s PR department to say “oh look, we DO play guitar-based music on daytime mainstream radio! Aren’t we so eclectic!”
Bubbles and The Captain, two (s)hit singles from this nominated album, do nothing but grate on sanity.
Only Revolutions has zilch chance of picking up the Mercury Music Prize. If it does, I’ll chew off my right arm.

I Am Kloot – Sky At Night

LADBROKES ODDS: 10/1

DREARY outfit I Am Kloot employed Elbow’s Guy Garvey to produce this album.
It’s like a marshmallow, soft, sweet but ultimately leaves you feeling nauseas if you have too many - listens, in this case.
Everytime I listen to Sky at Night, I feel the walls slowly closing in and it doesn’t take long until frenzied panic ensues and the record is promptly thrown out.
Yeah, they’re not appalling but it’s the same song repeated ten times.
However, it wouldn’t be the Mercury Music Prize if there wasn’t at least one Mancunian entry.

Dizzee Rascal – Tongue N’ Cheek

LADBROKES ODDS: 33/1

DIZZEE, Dizzee, Dizzee. What happened, man? Boy In Da Corner offered a slick transition for grime's passage to mainstream pop. Songs such as I Luv You and Stop Dat were dirtee, stinkin’ cuts that were made for sweatiest underground dives. Not to mention the might of Fix Up, Look Sharp and the killer Jus’ A Rascal – the two songs that signalled Dizzee’s arrival with a rather loud bang.
Seven years on and Dizzee is an embarrassment. Tongue N’ Cheek is just like the album’s sleeve - bubblegum garbage. He is hell bent on becoming the king of British pop but the only way to achieve it is to create dumb club anthems perfect for the VK-wielding chav in your local Yates’ bar.
He deservedly won in 2003 but it would be a travesty if he was awarded the prize in 2010.

Paul Weller – Wake Up The Nation

LADBROKES ODDS: 14/1

PAUL Weller has never been off form. He’s ridiculously cool, an icon of British music. From The Jam to his solo material, this country’s been pretty lucky to have a horribly consistent rock ‘n’ roll star churning out driven and calculated rock songs.
Wake Up The Nation is a great album, not at all boring, and shows a man who has matured into an inspirational song writer.
OK, he doesn’t offer anything mind-blowing or that original but what you see is what you get with Paul Weller – clean, cool and passionate rock ‘n’ roll.

Corinne Bailey Rae – The Sea

LADBROKES ODDS: 33/1

CORINNE Bailey Rae was unleashed in 2006 and tried her best to stay on every radio station, chat show and music television channel until she vanished in 2008.
The Leeds songstress returned in 2010 in The Sea, which sticks to Rae’s sullen, dry guitar-based pop that never really gets going.
She’s got a great voice and showcases British female talent far better than the likes of Cheryl Cole, Pixie Lott and Diana fucking Vickers but it’s just so hard for me to like her music.
It’s perfect background music and The Sea is as warm as a burning log fire on a winter’s day, but I struggle not to grab the whiskey to put me into a far more enjoyable alcohol-induced coma before this album does.

The xx – The xx

LADBROKES ODDS: 13/8 (FAVOURITES)

THEY’RE the bookies’ favourite, the cool kids’ favourite, everyone’s favourite. But will they win?
Their short, minimal-lettered, minimal fuss, self-titled debut glistens with understated panache.
Islands and Crystalised are joyous pop joints that stick in the mind for days while Basic Space is just liquid cool, with its slight keyboard stabs and addictive wooden beats.
The xx are young, talented and a shining light of the UK’s music scene and the future is so, so bright for the Elliott School alumni.

Visit Luminous Plectrum on Sunday for part two, where we will reveal who we think will be crowned winner of the Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize 2010

BigAssLens films Clinic perform new material

2010-08-25T13:45:00.001-07:00

WE can hardly contain ourselves for the new Clinic album, Bubblegum, and New York webzine Big Ass Lense has sent us into overdrive with this fantastic footage Ade Blackburn and co performing at Joe's Pub.
Check out BAL's great coverage of the performance by clicking here.

Male Bonding's video for Weird Feelings

2010-08-25T10:29:00.001-07:00

THANKS to Pitchfork.tv, we have the opportunity to see Male Bonding's wacky bubblegum world new video for Weird Feelings.
Warning: must watch when sober.

Carl Barat -- Run With The Boys

2010-08-24T14:13:00.001-07:00

HANG on. When did Carl Barat turn into Neil Hannon?
It seems as if Barat has over indulged in a huge Divine Comedy pie, regurgitating it for his deluded fans to lap up like eager young swallows.
This is a poor, unoriginal effort from a clearly talented chap.
If media reports are to be believed, The Libertines could be recording new material after their scheduled performances at Reading and Leeds Festivals at the weekend, so at least Barat has the opportunity to quietly cremate this abomination in good time.

Cee-Lo -- Fuck You

2010-08-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

CEE-Lo Green follows up the sublime Georgia with this work of genius.
Fuck You has to be one of the most up-beat songs of the year, combining hilarious, well-written lyrics with a soulful joyous jam of a backing track and, of course, Cee-Lo's unmistakable vocals.
This joint is a really fun listen and it must have been a blast in the recording studio.
Yeah, Cee-Lo is untouchable at the moment and this is certain to be huge.

Song of the day: Wavves -- King of the Beach

2010-08-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

IF Nathan Williams continues to mature as an artist and a dominating frontman, he will be more than just king of the beach.
And who’s going to stop him? Wavves’ rip-roaring title track from their new album of the same name is an irresistible two-and-a-half minute love affair.
Take a deep breath, savour the sea air and let the sun-bleached sounds travel around your consciousness. You’ll emerge positively glowing.
Keep your eyes peeled for our review of Wavves' new album King of the Beach.

The Drums -- Down By The Water: Free via rcrd lbl

2010-08-21T00:48:00.000-07:00

Forever, and ever, and ever...
AS this year's majestic pop princes The Drums continue their relentless ascent to the heady heights of stardom, rcrd lbl has given fans a true treat by hosting this free download of sombre favourite Down By The Water.
This emotional, raw track shows a different side to The Drums' usual pop perfection and showcases Jonathan Pierce's ability to grasp a deep, atmospheric, emotional ballad.
Check it out:

Ou Est Le Swimming Pool's Charles Haddon dies

2010-08-21T00:05:00.000-07:00

NME are reporting Ou Est Le Swimming Pool singer Charles Haddon has committed suicide after their performance at Belgium's Pukkelpop Festival.
Click for more.
PromMusic's twitter page also suggests Michael Been of The Call has also died at the same festival.

Caitlin Rose starts UK tour in August

2010-08-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

EXCITING young Nashville songstress Caitlin Rose will bring her warm and absorbing brand of American country for us FOLK in the UK to immerse ourselves in this August.
She's been branded as an artist to watch this year by the music press and blogs alike and the Independent on Sunday dubbed her "the most exciting act in Nashville right now".
That says a lot, I guess.
Her lyrics are heartfelt, her voice is dazzling and, well, she don't look too bad either!

Tour dates:

AUGUST

19 - London Camp with Sam Amidon
20 - Green Man
25 - Manchester Night & Day Café
27 - Birmingham Glee
29 - North Yorkshire Moors The Band Room

SEPTEMBER

1 - London Slaughtered Lamb
2 - Bristol Bonaventure
10 - End of the Road festival
25 - Bedford Civic Theatre
26 - Coventry Taylor Johns
28 - London Cargo
29 - Leeds Brudenell Social Club
30 - Manchester Deaf Institute

OCTOBER

1 - Glasgow Captain's Rest

Cherry Ghost announce headline tour details

2010-08-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

You Got Yr Cherry Bomb
SIMON Aldred will be travelling his Cherry Ghost band across the UK for their biggest ever tour this autumn.
The Ivor Novello-winning five piece are touring on the back of their acclaimed new album Beaneath This burning Shoreline, kicking off at Camden's finest Dingwalls on September.

Tour dates:

SEPTEMBER

15 - London, Dingwalls
21 – Norwich, Arts Centre
22 – Colchester, Arts Centre
23 – Southampton, Joiners
24 – Brighton, Komedia
26 – Exeter, Cavern
27 – Hatfield, The Attic
28 – Cardiff, The Globe
30 – Gloucester, Guildhall

OCTOBER

2 – York, Fibbers
3 – Nottingham, Rescue Rooms
4 – Milton Keynes, The Stables
5 – Leeds, Brudenell Club
7 – Sheffield, O2 Academy
8 – Birmingham, O2 Academy
10 – Liverpool, O2 Academy
11 – Glasgow, ABC
12 – Newcastle, O2 Academy
15 – Manchester, Academy

Cherry Ghost release new single Black Fang on August 23.

DJ Fresh -- Gold Dust (Flux Pavilion remix)

2010-08-17T14:14:00.001-07:00

Ace of bass
WOW! Give me a second to calm down. PHEW - I've just recovered from a full-on session with Flux Pavilion's remix of DJ Fresh's belting Gold Dust.
Thanks to ace new music site rcrd lbl, we can now revel in what is probably the best remix Luminous Plectrum has heard all year.
The original version of Gold Dust is getting some well-deserved air time on Radio One in the UK at the moment - props.
A word of warning: please wear fire proof mask before listening to this - the bass is face-meltingly off the scale!

Via rcrd lbl

Album review: !!! –- Strange Weather, Isn’t It?

2010-08-16T13:51:00.000-07:00

No need for umbrellas, the outlook's bright.
WHAT goes through a band’s train of thought when deciding on the name of an album?
I would have loved to have been there when Queens of the Stone Age came up with Songs for the Deaf or when the members of Modest Mouse decided upon Good News for People Who Love Bad News.
“Yes, we fucking nailed it!” – ah, I can hear it now.
But what the hell were !!! thinking with Strange Weather, Isn’t It? Actually, with a name like !!!, I can see why.
Names aside, is the latest album from the dance-punk pioneers actually any good?
It is, actually. It’s not as instantly grabbing as 2007’s stellar Myth Takes or 2004’s Louden Up Now but the songs are solid, funk-filled and straight out fun.
Wannagain Wannagain is delicious funky melange of sax breaks, super sexy bass riffs and hard-hitting drum beats that are sure to get any party on the block off to an orgasmic start.
The album’s stand out Jamie, My Intentions Are Bass does exactly what it says on the tin, combining slick bass work with 70s liquid guitar strums.
Steady as the Sidewalk Cracks is awash with African influences and makes you wonder why !!! resisted laying lion or monkey sound effects over the top.
The Hammer is an intense, techno free for all that showcases the band’s ability to create a gritty, urban floor-filler (it’s also crying out for remixes) and Even Judas Gave Jesus a Kiss lives up to its genius name by offering the album’s most radio-friendly effort.
For all the high points, it beggars belief how Jump Back made it onto the final cut. Nic Offer’s subdued vocals are borderline comical and it’s difficult to believe that Jump Back ISN’T a parody of the Scissor Sisters. Just replace Offer with Jake Shears and you’ll see what I mean.
AM/FM is a strange choice of album opener. It’s not instantly grabbing, with its Second Coming-era Stone Roses drum beats, but it’s cool, borderline ice-cold, and confident.
Strange Weather, Isn’t It? fails to better Myth Takes but it’s a welcome return for the much-missed band after a three-year break and some of the tracks on this album are sure to be popular floor-fillers in clubs up-and-down the country.
One thing’s certain, though: !!!’s intentions are bass. Get involved. Get knee deep in glorious BASS.

New Cribs track, Housewife, released via iTunes

2010-08-11T05:06:00.000-07:00

Witt Woo.
CRIBS fans, rejoice! The Manc rockers have issued a surprise download track called Housewife via iTunes.
The four-piece, which includes legendary axe man Johnny Marr, decided at the last minute to release the track because “they wanted to”. Good work, lads.
Housewife can be downloaded via this link.

Les Savy Fav -- Let's Get Out of Here

2010-08-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

LUMINOUS Plectrum firm-favourites Les Savy Fav have released one of the songs of the year with Let's Get Out of Here.
Its palet cleansing guitar structure whets the appetite for their new album while enigmatic frontman Tim Harrington - one of the biggest characters in modern rock - portrays a more vulnerable side with lyrics such as
"I just want you to want me right now".
Comparing this to songs such as Sweat Descendes and Hold Onto Your Genre, it's less complicated and a lot more fun, but retains all of Les Savy Fav's unmatchable character.
Bold, up-beat, up-tempo and instantly endearing, Let's Get Out of Here signals Les Savy Fav's return with stunning results.

Via Rcrd Lbl.

Big Troubles -- Bite Yr Tongue

2010-08-09T13:09:00.000-07:00

BIG TROUBLES "BITE YR TONGUE" from OLDE ENGLISH SPELLING BEE on Vimeo.

HUGELY distorted riffs are the "in thing" for a lot of hot new bands at the moment and Big Troubles' Bite Yr Tongue embraces it with wide-open arms.
The New Jersey outfit crank the distortion up to ten for this dizzying ride complete with highly-echoed vocals and a tinny drum beat.
A breath of fresh air, Big Troubles sound like a summery Jesus and Mary Chain - if such a thing is possible.

Kanye West -- Power

2010-08-07T08:19:00.000-07:00

Errr...
IT'S simple. Kanye West is, in his eyes, the world and this ritualistic promotional clip portrays the superstar as an almost god-like being.
Titled Power, which LP assumes is a track from his up-coming album, Kanye's clearly let the power go to his head.
At least the music is strong, similar to Jesus Walks, and a return to form following the slightly underrated 808s and Heartbreak.
This and his Twitter stunt earlier in the week means this guy has got some genius PR staff.

Janelle Monae -- Cold War

2010-08-07T03:40:00.000-07:00

JANELLE Monae's video for Cold War has to be one of the most simple, riveting and intriguing released in the past five years.
I urge anyone not to be transfixed watching this.

The energised Cold War can be found on her acclaimed album The ArchAndroid - out now.

Plants and Animals -- The Mama Papa Song (Paris Basement mix)

2010-08-07T03:30:00.001-07:00

PARIS Basement's mix of The Mama Papa Song is like an out-of-control tank, destroying everything in its vicinity. A vast improvement on the Montreal three-piece's original (which is pretty good anyway), this remix triples the tempo with hard-hitting guitars Queens of the Stone Age would be proud of.
Check it.

Via Rcrd Lbl.

Clinic -- I'm Aware

2010-08-07T01:47:00.000-07:00

Spewing fabric all over the place.
CLINIC return with this quintessentially psychedelic number complete with woozy backing strings and delicate jingle jangles, making it a perfect addition to your lazy Sunday afternoon soundtrack.
This is a welcome return for Ade Blackburn and co.
Thanks to Pitchfork for the video.

Album review: Arcade Fire -- The Suburbs

2010-08-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

THE Suburbs, Arcade Fire’s third full length album, sees the masters of huge, stadium-filling rock take a more guitar centred approach – and it’s welcomed.
Arcade Fire don’t really tend to stray from the "start off slow but grow into something huge" formula, and to be fair there is evidence of this in The Suburbs, but the songs here are songs – not in the same ilk as the garish and unlistenable Wake Up or No Cars Go from Neon Bible.
The Canadian crew, led by Win Butler, seem to have discovered a solid, tight new sound - and they're enjoying it.
The songs are upbeat, such as Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains), featuring the vocals of Win’s wife Regine Chassagne, which has a rocking piano riff Spoon would be proud of.
The stand-out song here is We Used to Wait, a sparkling number that kicks off with a Sparks-esque jarring piano and a rumbling bassline, and showcases Win Butler as an imposing and talented front man.
Empty Room is a violin and adrenaline-filled tour-de-force, and Month of May, although a tad cheesy, is just sheer rock ‘n’ roll.
Arcade Fire will continue to gain fans with their slightly-odd, quirky demeanour and ability to blow audiences away, but The Suburbs shows we now have a band capable of making songs, not bold, brash statements.

Sean Bones -- Let's Do Somethin Else

2010-08-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

Bones 4 U.
NEW York’s Sean Bones continues to make 2010 his own with the release of the delightful Let’s Do Somethin Else.
Carefree and colourful, it boasts a catchy organ hook and Sean’s soft vocals are understated yet perfectly absorbing.
Better still, the track concludes with a surprising rock-out, much in the same way Rumba Beat finished with its hands-in-the-air dance floor attack.
The video is pretty funny too.
Let’s Do Somethin Else is out now on Frenchkiss Records.

Luminous Plectrum embraces new media

2010-07-28T05:46:00.000-07:00

Luminous Plectrum joins social networking phenom Twitter.
Hello readers, you can keep up-to-date with new entries by following us on Twitter.
We can be found @luminousplectrm
Join the cleverlution!

Kiss and resolve.

Pigeon shit-storm forces Kings of Leon off stage

2010-07-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

Music fans rejoice.
IN what appears to be the funniest story of the year so far, turgid MOR rockers Kings of Leon were forced off stage during a gig in St Louis - because of defecating pigeons.
The peculiar dullards cut short their set just as they were about to rip in to I Want Poo, from album Only By The Shite, as a blanket bomb of sizzling pigeon plop covered the band in what can only be described as a commendable synchronised dirty protest.
According to The Guardian, Andy Mendelsohn, the band's manager, said bassist Jared Followill was hit "several times during the first two songs" with a number of droppings "landing near his mouth".
If only the pigeons got it Closer. I bet it really did look like Mancrappan up there.

NME reports Interpol "not afraid" of making music without Carlos D

2010-07-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

Luminous Plectrum predicts: the end is nigh.
AN NME interview with Interpol's Sam Fogarino sent alarm bells ringing here at Luminous Plectrum.
Despite his reassurances about the close future of the band following Carlos D's departure, Fogarino seems somewhat unconvinced on where they might be in a year or two's time, admitting the vibrant bassist will be missed.
Talking to NME, Fogarino said: "I don't think we're afraid to work on music without him but it's just so far away. Who knows how we'll feel in a year-and-a-half or two years."
He added: "As to whether [Dengler's talent] will be missed, yeah, how can it not be? "The band will just rely on other strengths in the future. Emotionally, it will be missed but pragmatically, no. We're all pretty capable musicians."
Interesting, yet unconvincing, words there and It's difficult to see a future for this band after the release of their self-titled album some time this year.

Album review: Benni Hemm Hemm -- Retaliate

2010-07-26T14:05:00.000-07:00

ICELANDIC 14-piece Benni Hemm Hemm take the "less is more" approach with this glowing five-track EP.
Retaliate sounds like it barely jumps out of the starting blocks but the warmth radiating from its every pore is enough to keep the record burning - albeit slowly.
Album opener Retaliate combines feather-light acoustic guitars with delightful piano chimes that build to its pleasant finish, while Blood of My Blood follows a similar route.
Rousing shanty Shipcracks is, without doubt, the record's high point and gives the record a welcomed lease of life before the triumphant conclusion of Blood on Lady Lawson, which can only be described as breathtaking as an Icelandic waterfall.
Retaliate is a simplistic pleasure.

Pitchfork TV premiers Minks -- Funeral Song

2010-07-12T14:11:00.000-07:00

MINKS' Funeral Song, which featured on Luminous Plectrum's week 3 mix, has received the video treatment and been premiered on the wondeful Pitchfork TV.

Minks -- Funeral Song:

The song is a huge fave here in Luminous Plectrum towers and, despite it's gloomy title and black and white, grainy video set in the scummier parts of what looks like Brooklyn island, it's been one of the sounds of the summer.
Check it out.

Interpol leak new track 'Barricades'

2010-07-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

IT’S official. Interpol have ditched the glorious thick claustrophobia of Turn on the Bright Lights and the dry, honest sentiment of Antics for good.
Barricade, the next song to be leaked from the up-coming self-titled album, is a clean, crisp affair but it’s shamefully similar to anything from Our Love to Admire.
Is it any good?
It’s polished to an inch of its life. Paul Banks’ vocals aren’t tested too much but the quintessential Interpol rolling guitar riffs are here.
The sadly departed (from the band) Carlos D provides a tangled melange of a bassline while drummer Sam Fogarino, the band’s secret weapon, keeps the song ticking along at a frantic pace.
It’s not a bad song, a grower for sure, but it’s nothing new.
I’m not holding out much hope that the new album is going to be anything more than a half-arsed, mediocre effort.
From a band that could have had the world at their feet in 2004, to this – it’s massive shame.

Interpol -- Barricade (from the up-coming self-titled LP)

Album review: The Drums -- The Drums

2010-07-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

Better late than never, eh?
HYPE can either make or break a band. In the case of four-piece The Drums, the hype machine has gone into overdrive.
Luckily for us, it’s done little to alter their ability to make refreshing, joyous music.
Last year’s superb Summertime! EP showcased The Drums as perfect pop-making machines and gave us some of the songs of the year in Submarine, I Felt So Stupid and breakthrough hit Let’s Go Surfing.
The EP, though released in October, propelled UK listeners to a warmer place and now the summer’s actually here, let’s see if their debut long player matches the standard they’ve set themselves.
Sadly and surprisingly, there is no place for Submarine or I Felt So Stupid, but the fantastic I’ll Never Drop My Sword and Me and the Moon make a much-welcomed appearance.
Album opener Best Friend is arguably one of the best pop songs of the year. It’s drenched in Morrissey-esque melancholy - lead singer Jonathan Pierce wails in his distinctive vocals “you’re my best friend, but then you died” - with a rolling, infectious drum beat and the most simple of guitar riffs. Its charm is in its minimalism.
Throughout the album, most of the songs revolve around the theme of love.
Me and the Moon tells of a stressful and turbulent relationship that keeps on rolling because of the undying love for one another and the majestic Forever and Ever Amen shows The Drums at their fullest, with Pierce triumphantly declaring that he and his love are unstoppable - it's going to last “forever and ever and ever and ever.”
There is a downside to the album, for all its high points. We Tried seems rushed and should have been titled We Tired. It could easily have been replaced with, say, a meatier cut like Submarine.
It Will All End In Tears is the album’s stand out track. It’s not quintessentially Drums-y. It’s strained rather than airy pop and shows Pierce at his most vulnerable, fearing the death of a relationship. The music is reminiscent of Joy Division, (think Closer), and early New Order and without doubt takes strong influence from their 80s counterparts.
The album concludes with The Future, the album’s biggest and most layered effort.
It’s an ideal way to round things up but ultimately leaves the listener wanting more.
Pierce’s vocals climb higher as the song progresses and the jingling glockenspiel in the background shows the band isn’t afraid to tap into its creative side. It's also the only song on the album that's co-written between Pierce and Conor Hanwick, so hopefully we can look forward to what Hanwick has to offer in, well, the "future". It’s another highlight.
But this leaves us asking what’s next for The Drums? Surely another album of summery pop isn’t going to work? The worrying aspect is their lifespan. How can they progress from this? It’s an interesting question and if they’re going to want to obtain longevity, they’re going to have to tap into originality. They’ve admitted themselves they’re not an original band, just trying to bring music back that shouldn’t have gone away in the first place.
This is ideal for the time being, but isn’t going to “last forever and ever and ever and ever.”
Now though, Pierce and co have the world at their fingertips and there's no sign they're going to let that slip.

Let's Go Surfing:

Best Friend:

Forever and Ever Amen:

Rated Records round-up: Minks, Best Coast, His Clancyness, !!!

2010-07-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

Minks -- Funeral Song (live at the Union Pool)

Quirky power pop at its best in this live performance of Funeral Song.

Best Coast -- Boyfriend

Enthralling, gorgeous sounds from low-fi girl group Best Coast.

His Clancyness -- Summer Majestic

One of 2009's great revelations has released this pulsating piece of majestic pop.

!!! -- AM/FM

!!! give us a taste of what's to come from the up-coming Strange Weather Isn't It? with AM/FM - a chilled-out funk-fest.