The Black Kids - I Am Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You

The Florida Band known under the name Black Kids is finally officially releasing their single “I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You” in the UK. Before this song was available as a free download which propelled them to the top of the musical world. This song is amazing it tells the story of a childhood love and deep sitting jealousy. The lyrics are bizarre at times, which makes the whole song even more fun. It is a dancy tune that can definitely rock the dance floors, remixes of it are already out there. Black Kids are a band that should be listened to, they are most likely going to be bigger than we expect them to be.

Review by Solveig Werner

Kill Hanna - Lips Like Morphine

The best Kill Hanna song, in my opinion, is finally getting released in the UK. It is “Lips Like Morphine” which describes a deep desire to find an overpowering girl. The lyrics describe that this girl that is longed for is meant to have lips that are strong enough to knock one out when they kiss, they have the same effects as morphine upon the person on the receiving end. The music has a dark sound to it which makes the whole idea of a Morphine lipped girl see, even more dangerous.

Review by Solveig Werner

Art Brut - Pump Up The Volume

The crazy band known under the name Art Brut, has a new single which is most probably also about one of the ex-girlfriends Eddie Argos had. His talking over the music, and the bizarre sarcasm of the lyrics marks “Pump Up The Volume”. This song is missing something, the originality that was present in previous releases. The move to LA might have had an unexpected impact on the bands music. This single is about if it is ok to turn up the volume on a pop song while kissing, to be fair Eddie has the weirdest ideas what to make his lyrics be about.

Review by Solveig

Eastern Conference Champions - The Box

The newest single of the Pennsylvania Eastern Conference Champions is entitled “The Box”, a term that does not even get mentioned in the lyrics. It is melodic and different from the current indie sounds that are out on the market. Lyrics wise it is a rather somber song, dealing with drug abuse, drinking, and getting three years for “just giving up”, all of this is dealt with in a more or less quiet way. The last note of the song is very beautiful, giving it a nice ending and making one want to hear the whole song over and over again.

Review by Solveig Werner

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash

The former Pavement member, Stephen Malkmus is releasing his fourth solo album with the Jicks. This album is made special by its simplicity, reminding the listener garage bands that dare to experiment with instruments and music in general. The creativity is already visible when it comes to the titles of the songs like “Elmo Delmo”, “Wicked Wanda” or “Dragonfly Pie”, whatever that means. Every song is different from the others, they all sound similar but different. What they have in common is Mr. Malkmus unique voice. The lyrics are rather random which makes them quite fun. It’s not what would be put on in a club, but to some tracks you could dance definitely some real rock ‘n’ roll on. The album has got something very original but hard to grasp and describe in words, it is definitely worth giving a listen.

Review by Solveig Werner

Kill Hanna - Kennedy

The upcoming single by the Chicago band Kill Hanna is about the Kennedy family clan as the title “Kennedy” suggests. In more detail this song is about how great it would be to actually be a Kennedy, the prestige of the family is described in the lyrics, they come over as some sort of Gods. Musical energy is definitely present in the song, and it is not as dark as the previous release “Lips Like Morphine”, but still it is quite a similar song, the theme of wanting something impossible is still present, and kissing pretty girls. Maybe wanting the unattainable is the main motif for Kill Hanna.

Review by Solveig Werner

The Cardigans - Erase/Rewind (Kleerup Remix

Surprisingly the Cardigans song “Erase/Rewind” remixed by Kleerup sounds quite good. It is not the typical Cardigans, and with that not the music for every moment, but it might be something to consider putting on while getting ready for a night out. Proper Cardigans might not agree with this, seen that it diverts a lot from the original version of the song, but why not give it a try on the dance floor?

Review by Solveig Werner

Rivers Cuomo - Alone - The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo

Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo decided to release some more material; it is the songs that he recorded on his own time without the rest of the band being around, hence the title of his upcoming album. “Alone” features different recordings of Weezer’s released songs, but also some songs that seem to have never left Cuomo’s house before. Songs ending abruptly mark this record, this and the fact that the recordings are quite simple adds to the charm. It is a stripped down version of Weezer, which makes it sound great nonetheless.

Review by Solveig Werner

The All New Adventures Of Us – Best Loved Goodnight Tales

Some people are melody people. Some people are lyrics people. Some people just like noise. Well this album won’t promise you noise but it can offer an abundance of the former two. The musical compositions are dramatic but not showy and the lyrics are incredibly honest and genuine. Stand out tracks are The Art Of The High Five a song dripping with nostalgia remembering days lost whilst they demand ‘come on prove me wrong’ and ask ‘does anyone remember laughter? Does anyone remember fun?’ Perfectly Imperfect is a heartbreaking love song and with timeless lines such as ‘I know that our paths will come to an end at the same town and time. I know ‘cos your hand fits perfectly in mine’ I find myself convinced that true love does exist. A lovely record that has something for everyone (except for those who like noise!).

Review by Hannah Ransome

Manu Chao – Me Llaman Calle

A refreshing song from Manu Chao which would be quite irresistible in a Latin club! It is somewhat repetitive and perhaps would be unappreciated here; however this shouldn’t be too much of a fault because the track itself has so much life and exudes exotic happiness which cannot be ignored in any context. The atmosphere it emanates is of hot Spanish streets, which is brought to light in the video of the song where people are inclined to dance outside shops to the classic strumming and Latin beats. A different view of the song comes when informed what it is about- the city’s street women-and this adds a certain poignancy to the song and makes you appreciate it even more.

Review by Eliza Lomas

The Editors - An End Has A Start

An End Has A Start is the second album by the gang of journalists turned musicians that are known to us as the Editors and not as “Snowfield”, the name they had originally, has been with us for quite some time now. It seems like as if this album will be one of those that won’t die, even though it focuses on death in some of the lyrics. This album is a lot darker than the first one, the influence of the early Cure and the Joy Divisionesque sound can be heard, like it is the case for some contemporary bands at the moment. You have to choose the right moment in time to listen to it. The dark electro rock mixed with the dark lyrics makes it a dangerous piece of music for a depressive person.

Review by Solveig Werner