Ross Clark & the Scarfs Go Missing

“I’m sure you’ll be everything you wanted.”

I can’t be completely certain whether or not the improper pluralization of ‘scarfs’ was indeed intentional, but I don’t care. Say it like you must, Ross, I’m not one to harp on about grammar. It appears that the eponymous Glaswegian behind  Ross Clark & the Scarfs Go Missing, who likes to write “songs about things”, gets his kicks from bands like Frightened Rabbit and songwriters like (i’ll take any excuse to talk about him) Ryan Adams and Jeff Buckley.  Hmm…it sounds like we’re a good match.  You can purchase the new single, Silversword, or the band’s previous EP entitled Anthems In Clams.

Ross Clark & the Scarfs Go Missing – Silversword

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Matias Tellez

“Water won’t kill these flames.”

Young Norwegian wunderkind Matias Tellez seems to operate in alternate universe.  And after spinning only a few tracks of his new disc Clouds, it’s a universe of which I’m dying to be a part.  Anyone who can sing “kids are the future” with the backing of a campy keyboard riff and not sound completely inane is worthy of some kind of attention.  Maybe I just miss being 18 years old…  

Matias Tellez – Children of the Right Solution

Matias Tellez – Head In Cloud

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Longview; History

“I can’t pretend it’s you…”

Longview has loooooong been one of my favorite bands.  In fact, they were one of the site’s very first posts over three years ago. The band’s debut full-length, Mercury, is timeless to me and still, four years after its release, is undoubtedly one of my top 5 albums.  Besides a few unofficial track releasings, the Londoners by-way-of Manchester have been relatively mum for the past few years. Finally, it appears that the wheels are in motion and that we may been hearing a great deal more from the band very soon.  Cross every possible finger and toe you have that this holds true – if not for you, then for me!  A new track, as well as an impromptu SXSW acoustic performance are posted both above and below.

Longview – History

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We Were Promised Jetpacks

“Little words of wisdom creep into my ears.”

FatCat Records has, as of late, been the only thing on my mind.  I’ve gone nuts over my relatively recent discovery of Frightened Rabbit, I wait in serious impatience for the new Twilight Sad (who needs to introduction…) track, and, if my copy of the upcoming full-length from We Were Promised Jetpacks  was to actually exist in the physical world, it’d be wearing thin already.  Although the label calls beautiful Brighton home, FatCat seems to have it’s hand deep in the talent pool to the far north.  The band’s first single, “Quite Little Voices”, will be released May 4th and is to be followed later by the debut full length These Four Walls in June.  Catch the band anytime in the UK…

We Were Promised Jetpacks – Quiet Little Voices

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White Belt Yellow Tag

“It’s killing every one of us.”

From the demise (nothing good ever comes of the fatalistic “indefinite hiatus”) of experimental group Yourcodenameis:milo comes England’s White Belt Yellow Tag.  Outlets such as NME and Radio 1 seem to have their eyes locked pretty tightly on the new duo from Yorkshire. The new EP was released on March 30th and is widely available through nearly every imaginable online retailer. Although band mates Craig Pilbin and Justin Lockey are together able to capitalize on Lockey’s post-punk beginnings, they seem to prefer a back-and-forth between epic guitar instrumentation, such as on their newly debuted single, “You’re Not Invincible” and the relative minimalism of the disc’s closer, “Song About Growing”.  Keep your ear to the ground, you’ll be hearing a lot about them – if you haven’t already…

White Belt Yellow Tag – You’re Not Invincible

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Halloween, Alaska : Champagne Downtown

“You don’t have to have opinions on everything.”

James Diers has a voice of which I will never ever (ever ever ever) grow tired.  It’d be kind of hard to, anyway, considering that Diers and his band Halloween, Alaska have been a bit of a local Minneapolis enigma for the past few years.  They play a few shows, only when it suits them, and release some new tracks every two or three years (…and I have thus been happily forced to spend a significant amount of time with the Love-Cars back catalogue in order to get my fill). He’s undoubtedly one of my favorite lyricists – for reasons I still can’t effectively articulate after a solid 4 or 5 years of rumination.  Je ne sais quoi, I guess.  The band celebrates the highly anticipated release of their new disc Champagne Downtown at First Avenue tomorrow night.  I’ll probably buy you a beer if you go.

Halloween, Alaska – Hot Pink

Halloween, Alaska – The Hollywood Sign (highly, highly rec’d)

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goFASTER>>

“You can have your false hopes.”

This band “formed one summer to write about rubbish jobs, daytime television and STDs.” I’ve definitely never come across a more appropriate reason. I’m not going to tell you a single thing more about Liverpool’s goFASTER>>. You need to know nothing other than the fact that you’re bound to enjoy them, you’re bound to tap at least a toe or two, and you’re certainly bound to thank me later.  The boys just release their new EP, A Modern Education, via Alcopop! records. Quick tip: see the song through until the end, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

goFASTER>> – Magazine Addiction

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It’s A Buffalo

“I don’t know my left from right.”

Take equal parts alt-country, a fusion of folk and punk, and a group of lads from Manchester and you’ve got the unconventionally, but perhaps very appropriately, named band It’s A Buffalo. The new disc, Don’t Be Scared, is fantastic.  Each track is anchored by a great Replacements-type lead guitar riff.  That was enough for me – I can’t see past the Westerberg. Londoners can, and should, head down to Brixton in order catch the band play the Windmill on April 11th.  I’ve always liked the idea of Americana played by a bunch of Brits, I find some welcome humor in it.

It’s A Buffalo – The Divorce Song

It’s A Buffalo – Seaslide

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