URN

A track by track run through of my first listen to the Family Rain's debut album "Under The Volcano"

Carnival

The album kicks off with a raucous re-working of their single “Carnival”. Originally given away as a free single, it has been re-recorded with new backing vocals that give it the party feel, while making the whole track sound more live and intimate, probably reflecting the bands new found live prowess. Starts off the album as if you’ve arrived to the party fashionably late, avoided the awkward talk and just got straight to wearing a lampshade as a head piece.

Trust me I’m a Genius

Trust me I’m a genius, the latest single and the track that the band opened to the internet. It’s still a blues laden anthem, with roaring guitar chorus compliments of Oli, but it’s on this track that you really get a feel for Will’s vocals. Powerful and soulful, ending on a cacophony of noise of being “in love with a dead scene”, just as well they’re creating their own from its Ashes.

Feel Better (Frank)

The fraternal three piece The Family Rain managed to find time in their busy tour schedule to pop by the URN studios to record 3 exclusive tracks and a catch up with an interview (see below). The band have currently released a string of singles, each more hard hitting then the last, with their album coming out in February 2014 the future’s looking bright for the Bath boys.

Having been thoroughly warmed up with their session in the studios the band played a roaring set at Rescue rooms in the evening. It’s clear they’ve honed their live act, with each one separately bringing charms to the performance whether it’s Will’s (Bass/lead vocals) suggestions to forget it’s Monday the next day and bring in the gig to a more intimate level, Oli (guitar) providing some raucous guitar solos or Tim (drums) giving some punch to songs such as “Reason to Die”. But it’s jointly the brothers really shine; the knowing smiles and nods as they provide extra jams during songs, the impeccable harmonies that swell their sound into something much bigger. Most of all, they have you in the palms of their hand throughout the gig - you become part of the family too.

Here's the three song's from the session:

The excellent guitar led Binocular

The blues laden Trust me I'm a Genius, already a confident set closer

Toronto based indie rock connoisseurs Hooded fang may well have been operating since 2007, though a big deal in their home country of Canada, and with the upcoming release of their 2nd UK album ( 27th May) in as many years why haven’t they conquered our shores?

Their first album self-titled album (not physically released here) was a calming breeze, songs such as “highway steam” and “promised land” making use of brass, keyboards to cover light hearted songs of getting lost in cities in the summer or running from mutant bears. It was the summer holidays on a disc.

Last years’ Tosta Mista was the ultimate break-up album of lead singer Daniel Lee, why? Because it was the most upbeat soundtrack to a heartbreak I’ve ever heard. Take key singles “Clap” and “Vacationion” with their nonsensical “ba ba bas” and surf style guitar, you’ll have been mistaken to think the beach boys have been renting a garage next to Hooded Fang. Songs rarely lasted longer then 2 and a half minutes, but why do they need to when you already new the lyrics by half way? Despite losing fallow lead vocalist Lorna Wright and their horn section, the band used this to their advantage to strip back their sound to a much more Indie-Garage sheik that they managed to polish up perfectly on the album

I know I usually I write about bringing you new or more unheard of tracks to your attention dedicated viewers, but this week, with just a Tweet from the Vampire Weekend saying they were dropping two new tracks I couldn't resist. So the question is what are they like, and what are they indicating for the new album?

We've already heard a song being bambled about the internet 'unbelievers'. A song seemingly about dying as unbelievers, lyrically a curveball for all vampire weekend fans, but played over two piano tracks of short sharp notes, it's not a leap more of a stroll away from previous albums.

Everyone knows though that the third album for any band is an uphill struggle, no longer can you simply build upon the first album with added experience and influences (which Vampire Weekend excelled at, adding a further Mexican influence, to their already full bag of tricks of classical, African and preppy sounds for 'Contra').

So what does "Diana Young" and "Steps" say about the "Modern Vampires of the City"?

Youth Lagoon's second album 'Wondrous Bughouse' is having it's UK release next week (18th March). The first album 'The year of hibernation' did as it said on the title, it was a caccoon for you to crawl into the mind of Trevor Powers, the lone performer/songwriter of Youth Lagoon. It's very much calming thoughts about Powers' times away at Univeristy, mentioning campus a few times, and seemingly growing into himself as a man and performer.
A year on Trevor Powers has burst forth from his caccoon clutching a brand new album and a lighter more upbeat heart. Disorientating synths guide you through his metamorphisis, it's not a far step-away from previous album but a progression non the less.
The songs appear at a faster pace, take standout track 'dropla' for instance, though starting with drip-drop synths like rain on a new morning, he flows through his lyrics at a pace much faster then the sparser first album. On the note of upbeat Powers' seems to want to take the focus away from himself more with the lyrics and turn the light on the listener. Inspiration is provided with repeated words of "you'll never die", perhaps sounding cliche in any other setting then the world cleverly crafted by his various intricate flowing rhythms.