It’s our ‘landmark’ 10th New Music Guide, our fortnightly dip into a worldwide cyberspace of yet-to-be-discovered talent, and it strides with a considerable, not to say eclectic, swagger. We’ve got all kinds of bases covered: from the coolest chill out tunes, to crashing rock via our first foray into unsigned hip-hop.
Throcke
First up is the Brooklyn, NY based Throcke, aka Christopher Molineux Carson. One man, one studio and a hell of a lot of instruments(not to mention talent) combine to make work with magnificent texture – it soars and glides, and it comes as no surprise that Throcke also scores for films.
Those familiar with the studio noodlings of Cornelius will appreciate Throcke’s sampling of all sorts from birds to aeroplanes and elevators. It’s slightly crazy, mind-stretching stuff, and stunningly beautiful in parts – take Sector17b for example.
Roebeck
In a similarly laid-back, electronic vein is London’s own Roebeck. This duo produce airy synth-laden tunes to complement an Ibizan sunset: light, ethereal and elegant.
Okay, so this style of music is hardly groundbreaking, but when you can follow in the musical footsteps of Massive Attack, Zero 7 and Air with such admirable style, there are no points needed for originality amidst such musical poignancy.
Jamie Radford
I am generally very sceptical when it comes to unsigned hip hop music -mostly because a lot of it is hugely unoriginal gangster-posing, wannabe ‘Fiddy’ tripe made by scallies from Wigan. However, there is some great stuff out there, as proved by Jamie Radford.
Mr Radford makes glistening electronica infused hip-hop, like Jurassic5 riffing over Aphex Twin. It’s a truly magnificent mix and ranks as one of my favourite unsigned finds ever. Just take a listen to You’re So Warm (or for that matter any of the music on his site)and tell me you don’t agree.
Brody and Quint
From electro hip-hop to the rather different world of Brit folk now with the quaint, mournful music of Brody and Quint. This English trio make beautifully laid back tunes full of interesting lyrics, languid strings and delicate vocals.
Their fans include Tori Amos, and it’s not difficult to imagine Brody and Quint enjoying at least some of her level of success. Songs likeSpinning Drum display a lyrical virtuosity that Rufus Wainwright would be proud of.
Nixon and the Burn
They’ve toured with some band called Arctic Monkeys, which ought to tell you everything you need to know about Nixon and the Burn, Unsurprisingly, they’re pretty damn great: spiky, violent and energetic.
The south coast boys could be the heirs to The White Stripes‘ throne with their crashing chords and instrumental meltdowns and are also in possession of some of the finest song titles around. Try Amanda the Panda for an example of all of the above.
The Wake
If there’s any act in this edition that I could see being on heavy rotation at a commercial radio station, it’s The Wake. Does the world really need another band that sounds a bit like Snow Patrol? I don’t know, but for those looking for hugely listenable indie, The Wake certainly provide amply.
Their finest track, She, follows a rigorous quiet/loud alternation, with a rousing chorus, and really quite excellent vocals. It’s uplifting and enjoyable (the sort of song you can imagine on a teen drama soundtrack) and proves that The Wake are at least the equal of a great many similar bands out there.
