Something good can work

Check these lads out for some upbeat indie goodness! Just released the best single of the year so far i recon!

To the basement people!

TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB

Fresh shit from the Floor

There has been a lack of updates on here for a while. One of the many reasons for this is I've been sleeping on the floor of a university hall in the north of London for the last week! As uncomfortable as it is, its fucking awesome fun and the music scene over here is massive! Im gonna keep this quick as I'm on some crap uni internet that need reconnecting every 2 minutes to keep it working!
However listen to these to gems if you feel that way inclined:

Theophilus London (neon gold love)

Sufjan (the world forgot ta ta)

Peace out!

A Guide to Love, Loss and 2008

So it's that time of year again when the Christmas decorations come out and every one gets silly for the loose end of the year. 2008 was an epic year for the Australian music scene with bands like Cut Copy, The Presets, The Midnight Juggernauts, Ladyhawke and Van She all releasing acclaimed albums and making serious dents into the international music scene. The amount of great music coming from all over Australia is fucking ace and I can wait to see what 2009 brings.

As the other half of made the grade has decided to go to the Congo for the uni break and I'm off the US and Europe its going to be pretty quiet around here with infrequent posts. Hopefully we can find some time to keep our own part of the internet here at madethegrade updated but as always time will tell!

B1 & B2's Favourite albums of 2008 - Very roughly done :) Merry Christmas and happy new years to everyone!

11. Tokyo Police Club – Elephant Shell

Coming in at just over 28 mins Elephant Shell delivers a sweet slice of indie pop rock proving to be both a lyrical and musical delight. One for the Sunday afternoon drives.

Myspace: Toyko Police Club Purchase via Amazon: Elephant Shell

10. Ra Ra Riot – The Rhumb Line

The Rhumb Line is the full length debut from Ra Ra Riot and is filled of upbeat indie rock. Wes Miles sweet voice is complemented by their very own strings section comprised of violinist Rebecca Zeller and Cellist Alexandra Lawn. WTF you say? Strings in indie rock? Ohh Noes every1 iz goin all arcade FirE on Our ArsE (that’s not a bad thing by any means). However Ra Ra Riot are not bandwagon jumpers and pull it off delightfully making one of the debuts of 2008.

Myspace: Ra Ra Riot Purchase via Amazon: The Rhumb Line

9. Lykke Li – Youth Novels

Another debut jumps in at number nine. This time from Swedish 22 year old Lykke Li. She approaches her music with a stripped back minimalist approach which enhances her enchanting and delicate voice. Her lo-fi pop is probably not everyone’s cup of tea but with songs like Little Bit and Dance Dance Dance being highly catchy in her own unorthodox style I found Youth Novels to be highly enjoyable.

There are heaps of good remixes floating around of her songs but this mash up/cover is pretty fucking dope if you’re a fan of her or the Kings of Leon.

Lykke Li V. Kings Of Leon - Knocked Up via HIPSTER RUNOFF

Myspace: Lykke Li Purchase via Amazon: Youth Novels

8. Ladyhawke – Ladyhawke

Ladyhawke is the cat obsessed kiwi who cranks out 80s tinged pop tunes. Her debut on modular is full of killer pop tunes filled to the brim with catchy hooks and oodles of synths. I honestly recon there isn’t one filler on the whole album as its all v good pop. Miss Pip Brown lives up to the hype and does not disappoint!

Myspace: Ladyhawke Purchase via Amazon: Ladyhakwe

7. The Killers – Day & Age

I’m not going to lie; I was very sceptical about this latest offering from the killers. Truth be told, I thought Sam’s Town was a bit of a piece. Yeah, some good songs but filled with a fair amount of wank. It sounded almost forced. I don’t think I could have been more surprised. The Killers actually sounded like, well, The Killers and not some impersonation of greats gone by. Day & Age presents an eclectic mix of tracks, both upbeat and solemn, a pastiche of a band exploring their musical boundaries yet not straying too far from the proven formula that brought us one of the debuts of the decade. Fucking kudos.

Myspace: The Killers Purchase via Amazon: Day and Age

6. Mercy Arms – Mercy Arms

Going from buzz band to almost forgotten it seemed Mercy Arms had really shot themselves in the foot. However, after dropping the single Half Right (possibly my favourite track of the year) the album release garnered a fair bit of anticipation. It did not disappoint. Not quite as upbeat as the first single the album displayed luscious amounts of reverb, depth and a song-writing maturity far beyond its years. I don’t think Australia has produced anything as unique and majestic sounding as Mercy Arms in a long while.

Myspace: Mercy Arms Purchase vi Waterfront Records: Mercy Arms

5. Late of the Pier – Fantasy Black Channel

Where do I begin with these guys! Their debut Fantasy Black Channel is so all over the fucking shop I don’t even know where to start. First and foremost Late of the Pier don’t sound like anything around at the moment and the closest band I could draw parallels at would probably be klaxons. However even this is clutching at straws. Late of the Pier want to make music which makes drugs redundant. And after listening to Fantasy Black Channel that next white line may just be redundant. LOTP sound schizophrenic. Their sound is always progressing and changing leaving you guessing where it’s heading next. It’s full of energy from the heavy guitars, blasting synths and other eccentric sounds from random electronic bleeps to glass smashing, spoons hitting cups and drum sticks being beaten on the wooden slats of a bed! Why stick to the book when you sound this good. Late of the Pier do things their own way and the result is fucking ace!

Myspace: Late of the Pier Purchase via Amazon: Fantasy Black Channel

4. Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours

Blog darlings – yep. Scene – yep. Fuck the backlash, its just so damn good. Light, confident and optimistic. The singles alone laid the foundation of every night out I had this year. The perfect summer pop record combined with the perfect club room jams.

Grab sands of time over from hyperbole. serious next level shit, wait for drop at 1:06 fuckin epic!

Cut Copy - Sands of Time

Myspace: Cut Copy Purchase via Amazon: In Ghost Colours

3. Mystery Jets – Twenty One

The Mystery Jets return for their second album with a full blown, unashamed 80s inspired pop record. With their new more radio friendly sound they have made a seriously awesome album. There’s the indie pop of young love with Laura Marling, the tear jerker veiled in grey and even a Christmas carolesque epic song by the name of flakes. Twenty One is filled to the brim with catchy choruses and well crafted pop songs about love and life and Mystery Jets have surprised everyone with a splendid pop album.

Mystery jets covering bleeding love by leona lewis via the world forgot.

Myster Jets - Bleeding Love

Myspace: Mystery Jets Purchase via Amazon: Twenty One

2. Foals - Antidotes

Foals distinctive sound is not the most approachable and I recon would polarise many people’s opinions. But to me I find it just mesmerising. From the eerie drones of sound on the first track “the French open” which slowly builds up to the drums kicking in and the chanting begins. The music seems to have mesmerising urgency and rhythm which just takes me away to another place when listening to it. Antidotes is jam-packed full of high energy and spaced out tracks filled with mirrored guitars, repeated lyrics, tribal rhythmic drums , blasts from horns with electronic beats scattered around for good measure. This combination makes a highly addictive and mesmerising sound which takes you away from where ever you are to a different place. And a journey with foals is a very enjoyable one indeed.

Myspace: Foals Purchase via Amazon: Antidotes

1. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Who gives a fuck about an oxford comma?

Who gives a fuck about anything when you have Vampire Weekend?

I don’t think I have ever seen so much happiness, so many smiles, than at the Vampire Weekend set at Splendour in the Grass this year (not just due to certain substances). With their afro-beat inspired brand of pop Vampire Weekend will arguably go down as the band of 2008. Their debut sounded so refreshingly laidback and uncomplicated it stood out like, yes, Is This It did back in 2001. Thankyou Vampire Weekend for providing a decent 21^st soundtrack.

Heres a couple of covers including a radiohead and fleetwood mac cover and the unreleased track ottoman via The World Forgot

Vampire Weekend - Ottoman

Myspace: Vampire Weekend Purchase via Amazon: Vampire Weekend

Final thoughts on whos going to be big next year or release killer albums next year:

- White Lies

- Magistrates

- The temper trap

- The Holidays

- Passion Pit

- We Have Band (maybe?)

Peace out ya'll and have a good christmas and new year and an awesome 2009!

Everything's Got To Be Love Or Death

It’s not all that often that a band makes you feel like your hurtling towards the earth, unable to do anything about the fact, but at the same time, not actually wanting to do anything about it. I don’t know how much sense this makes to you.
Maybe it’s the feeling of getting lost in a song.
Maybe it’s euphoria.
Anyway here it is. A much safer option than jumping out of a plane.

White Lies - Death (Demo)
Zshare doesn't like that so check it out over at their myspace!

White Lies formed out of the ashes of Fear of Flying earlier this year. The single Death was released a couple of months back and along with the singles Unfinished Business and To Lose My Life will proceed the debut album set to be released early in the new year. If these tracks are anything to go by White Lies will be making a very large splash in 2009.

Fingers crossed for an Australian tour.

DeVotchka + Fake Blood

Don't know fuck all about gypsy indie rock but that's what DeVotchka supposedly sound like.
Sounds haunting.

DeVotchka - How it Ends

Im loving the Fake Blood remix of Hot Chip's Touch Too Much over here. Ohhcrapp with the goods again!

Australian Music Month

As it is Australian Music month over on triple J, I thought I would do a quick list of my favorite Australian artists that i'm listening to as of now.

Mercy Arms

There is no one I have listened to in the Australian music scene that sounds quite like mercy arms. This either shows my musical ignorance or the fact that mercy arms are a unique little gem. Their music sounds atmospheric and haunting with a possible influence being “my bloody valentine” with their white noise sound . However this is not a defining characteristic of the album as it also filled with shimmering guitars which remind me of snowfightinthecitycenter and catchy choruses. This all combined with Thom's quiet vocals which compliment the overall sound give mercy arms a very distinctive sound in the Aus music scene. They have released their self title debut album this year independently through MGM and It’s one of my favourite debuts of the year. I’m not going to post any songs cos they are independent so go BUY the album. Or hit them up on myspaz.

Mercy Arms are playing in Perf on dec 13^th at the bakery so go see them if you feel that way inclined alternatley you can catch them at the big day out. Thanks to Mr Brenden Brown for getting me into these guys!

Bag Raiders

According to their interview on Inthemix “Our sound is adventure… We make adventure music. Sometimes modern, sometimes historical… Often Exciting. This pretty much sums them up perfectly. The Bag raiders music makes me feel happy. Pretty much like the time when I was 8 and my dad brought me back a red power ranger action figure from Japan. I was happier than every single person in the world that day. Their Turbo Love EP is fucking banging and shooting stars is one of the most uplifting songs i've heard all year. I already posted the instrumental version earlier but Rhys from the duo Ted & Francis has lent his vocals to the EP version and boy does it sound nice. Go grab it from OhhCrapp in all its 320kbs glory! You can buy the Turbo Love EP over at beatport.

Ladyhawke

Ladyhawke Is modular’s new poster child and is from across the Tasman in lord of the rings country. Her self title debut album has been hyped to no end and luckily (well in my opinion) it’s pretty damn good. It’s been stated all over the interwebs that her songs draw on 80s pop but I can’t seem to hear these links in her songs as a) I don’t listen to 80s pop and b) Iwas only alive for 3 years that decade. Pretty much every song on the album could be a single as their all v good and the album is definitely up their with the mystery jets as the best pop album I’ve heard all year! Ladyhawke plays modulars 10 year party never ever land with the rest of the modular crew this December so if your keen there’s a chance to go check her out! You can grab my favourite song off the album "magic" over at ever awesome hyperbole.

More Aussie goods to check out:

- The Holidays

- The Temper Trap

- Miami Horror

Semester Over

I have not posted here in quite a while because of the twice yearly plague otherwise known as uni exams. However finally uni is over for the year OHH YEAH! and it is time to relax.

First thing of the block the guys over at ignition are throwing an end of semester beach party.

Featuring LA RIOTS and JOAKIM on the decks it should be a banging night. You can grab Joakim's recently released "My Best Remixes" over here thanks to indie passion!

more coming soon im just having a afternoon nap and getting wink to re-pierce my ears! brb ppl