skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Van She are back with a pretty awesome cover of Blue Öyster Cult's iconic hit, (Don't Fear) The Reaper. Now yeah, I know 70's fossil rock purists will scream in terror as anything pre-1980 is untouchably sacred, especially to some rubbish "electro" band that hasn't even become irrelevant yet! But moronic Luddites excluded, anyone who appreciates anything Van She has done before will definitely like what this cover brings to the table. Slightly more electronic than their work on V, it brings a completely different mood to an already amazing song.
If you haven't heard the original yet, definitely give it a listen. Then download this version and see what you think. Unfortunately it's only a radio rip, but it's one of the less obtrusive ones I've heard so I figured it still worth posting.
--
(Don't Fear) The Reaper - Van She (Radio Rip)
Miami Horror have just released a new single titled Sometimes.
Featuring a New Order style guitar riff over the always amazing 80's Electro Miami Horror sound we've all come to know and love. From the second I heard Sometimes I loved it. Hopefully you will too.
Not much info on it, I'm pretty intrigued to find out who the guest vocals are from this time round; remembering that they recently utilised none other than VEGA and Neon Indian's Alan Palomo; it's likely someone from an existing band or project.
Also loving the cover sleeve, Miami Horror definitely have someone in the know working on their visual identity because it's always top-notch. Best i can find is that the Bravado EP cover was done by "DW" as quoted by their myspace page; whoever that is.
(UPDATE: Thanks to NeonLover for correcting me and providing a link to DW's page)
--
Sometimes - Miami Horror
Myspace
DW Design
It's been a while since I checked in with Voltaire Twins, it would have been at least 2 years ago when I last heard their stuff. Seems like they've been touring extensively with some pretty big names including Miami Horror and Ladytron as well as cooking up some new material.
No album yet but their D.I.L. EP is pretty slick. The title track is rather catchy, and has a very Heads We Dance vibe to it. Check it out.
--
D.I.L. - Voltaire Twins
Myspace
Alan Palomo never fucking stops.
Going from GhostHustler to VEGA and now Neon Indian; Palomo's more than content to have multiple identities functioning at once (in the case of VEGA and Neon Indian), and thankfully, his work never suffers as a result.
While VEGA is very much focused on the 80's Electro-Pop, Neon Indian's Psychic Chasms serves to vent Palomo's desires for more left-of-field experimentations. That said, this album will feel both similar and alien to you depending on what you listen to. Psychic Chasms is a thirty minute amalgamation of Daft Punk, Chromeo, Cut Copy, Thieves Like Us and any 80's Dream-Pop channeling band you care to name. Of course I could run off a list of at least a dozen other acts Neon Indian sounds similar to, but such comparisons are a tad lazy.
The album is simultaneously abstract yet accessible, and it's this quality that I believe is Psychic Chasms' greatest strength. Whenever the instrumental sample-ridden and warped synth-laden sound of the tracks are in danger of losing the interest of those with more conservative tastes, Palomo's silky smooth vocals draw you right back in. Every track is dripping in nostalgia and memory, they all seem like a return to the events of a distant past joined by both prangs of regret and joyful resurgence. No track fits the bill more than Should Have Taken Acid With You, a sleepy dreamscape of love lost and drug fueled euphoria, it's definitely Neon Indian's manifesto functioning at its highest level.
I can't help but draw comparisons to Memory Tapes' Seek Magic; it shares with Psychic Chasms a similar sound and similar influences but, for me, Seek Magic errs too far into the realm of aloofness, gaining attention for its unique compositions, then losing it for not ending the songs in half the time they take to get where they are going.
The quality of Psychic Chasms is deftly maintained throughout the LP, arguably because of Palomo's use of segue songs between the strongest tracks on the album. A similar format was seen in Cut Copy's In Ghost Colours, but I think Neon Indian pulls it off more successfully in this release. While it's a shame the album is done before you are; the less compelling tracks are made that much more successful in their shorter length, they begin to feel like intros and outros to the focus pieces of the album. When viewed in this way, it's hard to pick out any songs that really let down the album at all.
When all is said and done, Psychic Chasms is definitely not for everyone. Those looking for soaring, chorus-focused dancefloor tracks, they may be better served to seek out Palomo's more pop-oriented project; VEGA; because you won't find them here. That's not to say there aren't catchy tracks on the album, because there definitely are, and songs like Deadbeat Summer and Terminally Chill are great examples of this, but the album is definitely meant to be taken in as a whole package rather having its importance placed on singular songs.
As far as first albums go, Neon Indian hit the ground running. Although Alan Palomo has had time to refine his approach through his other works, and you can't help but be thankful he didn't attempt an album like this before he was truly ready. Psychic Chasms may take a few listens to take hold of you, but once it does, you'll find a multifaceted soundscape of nostalgia-soaked Chill-Wave that's very appealing.
8/10
--
Should Have Taken Acid With You - Neon Indian
Myspace
Monarchy are a duo from the UK who are going for a Friendly Fires/Visitor/Junior Boys feel, a sound that's getting a bit of attention at the moment. It seems like the 80's intergalactic space-age sound of the past few years isn't in danger of going anywhere despite what the naysayers may claim. Which is all the better for me because I can't get enough of the stuff.Gold In the Fire is a relatively down-tempo affair; a slow burning electro track with generous amounts of vocoder and falsetto. If you don't find yourself hooked at first, wait around for the chorus and it might just convert you.
Their visual identity seems to be pretty well thought out too, with some cool retro-futuristic design seen in both their band photo and their website header.
Gold In The Fire - Monarchy
--
Myspace
