Cut//Copy

Sometimes with the speed of the internets these days and the access to worldwide music some bands get lost in the shuffle. That's a bit of an understatement isn't it? Realistically MOST bands will get lost in the shuffle. In any case my point here is sometimes I get a bunch of CDs at once and it takes sometime to sift through them enough to form an opinion.

This was the case for me with the latest effort from Cut//Copy, a Melbourne Australia New-Wavy band. Cut//Copy was one of the hyped/buzzy bands during SXSW this past March. They played several free showcases as well as their main showcase in the evening, which managed to get them a lot of 6th street chatter.

All in all the band is already huge in Australia, the first song on their MySpace page has been played over 400,000 times but chances are if you're reading this you haven't heard them yet. Well I hereby give my official endorsement, go get yourself a copy of In Ghost Colours.

Cut//Copy - Out There on the Ice

Link courtesy of Waves at Night.

More review and media after the jump...


Cut//Copy are in the tradition of bands like Gang of Four, !!!, or the New Deal. They play live instrumentation but they want to make your ass shake on the dance floor. These guys definatly listened to a lot of early 80's Manchester-dance music but these grooves are undeniable. Just throw on the A-Side to In Ghost Colours and let your feet commence tapping. Sure the sound is fairly derivative and the vocals will remind you of Joy Division but imagine these guys playing a packed sweaty night club. Pulsing dance floor beats, with easy keyboard melodies and words you can sing along to, if you're not overly disaffected.

In case you're in doubt of the hugeness that is Cut//Copy check this video of them opening for Daft Punk in Australia in '07.


Cut//Copy - Hearts on Fire video via YouTube.


Cut//Copy - Lights & Music via YouTube
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Canadians are Collaborative

This past Tuesday Canadian "supergroup" Wolf Parade released their second album, At Mount Zoomer. Wolf Parade is a supergroup in the sense that they are part of one of those Canadian music collective. Members of Wolf Parade are also members of Sunset Rubdown, Handsome Furs, Swan Lake, Johnny and the Moon. Not to mention several somewhat popular and now somewhat defunct bands like Frog Eyes, Hot Hot Heat, and Atlas Strategic.

So this week they are all Wolf Parade and they have a new record in a store, or virtual store near you. If you are not already a fan of Wolf Parade you should be warned, you may not like this the first time you listen to it. It may even take weeks or months, but these guys make bacterial jams that may take prolonged contact before you're infected.

Wolf Parade - Language City

More review and media after the jump...

At Mount Zoomer starts out with a much lighter tone than Apologies to the Queen Mary. But as the record progresses you do get some darker, moodier tracks, personally the bi-polar sound of Wolf Parade is one of the things I've grown to love. Spenser Krug and Dan Boeckner share, not-quite matching, vocal duties. The instrumentation plays call and response parts, where the guitar and keys will swap a phrase back and forth until the melody emerges over a splashy waltz beat. All in all Wolf Parade have given us 45 minutes worth of music to live with till the next side project or EP.

Catch these Canadians near you eh? They'll be here in Austin at La Zone Rosa on July 25th. Tickets are already on sale for that show. Want to see them near you? Check here or here.

Their label Sub-Pop has several tracks available for free download. Way to go Sub-Pop.

Wolf Parade - Call it a Ritual <--- New Track
Wolf Parade - My Father's Son
Wolf Parade - Shine a Light

And of course we have to have some video action.


Wolf Parade - Shine a Light via YouTube.


Wolf Parade - I'll Believe in Anything via YouTube.

You can also download this video in .MOV format from Sub-Pop.



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(Not So)Plush

It was a locals showcase night at Plush last night. I didn't catch all five bands but I did see The Anchor, Like Dogs, and the Bread. One thing that should be mentioned about these acts is that they all feature the same drummer. This is indicative of the atmosphere of the show. It seemed mostly like a very loud gathering of friends more than a formal concert.

If you've never been to Plush it should be noted that this club is tiny. The capacity can't be 100 people and there is no real stage, it's more like an area in front of the bathroom. This makes any show you see at Plush extremely interactive. On most night you'll find DJ's spinning hip-hop, drum 'n bass, or whatever-tronica is popular at the moment.

In any case last night punk, metal and whatever-core were the order of the night. The Anchor brought speedy, punk melodies with call and response lyrics. Between song chatter included lots of feedback and inside jokes.

Up next was Like Dogs who bring their own flavor to music. Their genre-hopping sound has the intensity of metal, mixed with hip-hop breaks, and psychedelic poetry lyrics. They are a three piece band where rhythm is king, the only instrumentation is done with a drum kit and bass guitar. But don't think they don't bring the melody cause that bass sounds like no bass you'll hear anywhere else, and the unique vocals demand attention. In short the one word I would use to describe Like Dogs is confrontational. This isn't a sound for wallflowers, this is a sound to get in the pit and scream your face off.

Lastly but not leastly was Hole in the Wall regulars, the Bread. Like Dogs bass player says the Bread is the best band in Austin and they certainly delivered last night. Of the three acts I saw they brought the most melodies and harmonies to their set. Their sound is definitely more roots-rock than the previous acts, which pretty much demands more melody and harmony. When Like Dogs and the Anchor were getting off on Motorhead, the Bread were probably more into CSNY.

You can stream music from any of these bands on their MySpace pages(Links above).

Video and more after the jump...


The Anchor live @ Red 7

So this clip is like a 10 minute SXSW diary but it's all I could find on YouTube for Like Dogs:

Binary Marketing video of SXSW @ Plush featuring Like Dogs

Damn it was tough to find content for the Bread. I love you guys and everyone should here them but you try doing a search for the Bread. haha

The Bread Live
But they do have a 3 songs streaming and one available for download on their MySpace.

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