Found - BRNS

Om nom nom nom nom - that's me devouring cake, birthday cake no less, because as of yesterday The Found Of Confusion turned one year old!!....well sort of at least. Actually the weekly 'Founds' began on the 6th of January, but if the Queen can have two birthdays then so can we, and as it's twelve months since we stepped out from beneath the protective wing of the The Sound Of Confusion, to become a fully fledged stand alone blog, I think it's a good excuse for a party!! So help yourself to the sausages on sticks and jelly, have a play on the bouncy castle, then come gather near the makeshift stage... oh yes reader, of course we got a band in!

Not just any run of the mill band either; no such is our style, we've turned to some class from the Continent to set this shindig off just right. Flying in from the cobbled corners of Brussels, come four men who travel under the collective umbrella BRNS. If the pronunciation has you perplexed, then it's worth pointing out that the quartet originally formed with the name Brains, but the grind of grappling to get noticed on Google subsequently led them to jettison the vowels in favour of a sleeker signature. While though their calling card may be a source of ambiguity, few questions should linger around their music making potential - last years self-titled debut EP dispelled any doubts over the course of fifteen invention packed minutes. Leading things of was the raw, indie-funk, overtones of 'Mexico'. A half pleading, half protested, yelp of 'I've never been in Mexico!' conducts the show, inviting the organ, guitars, and what could pass for an impromptu pots and pans kitchen orchestra, to drop in and build the melody to a cacophonous conclusion; somehow meticulous and ramshackle at the same time, this is Holy Fuck stripped down to their engine parts with a splash of OK Go dripping from the fuel tank. For the juddering 'Here Dead He Lies', it's the factory production line rather than the repair shop that springs to mind, the drums and guitar working in unison and ricocheting back and forth like a pneumatic drill bit, before a ticking time bomb middle eight, explodes the song into a crunching and rousing finale. Vocally comparable to Miike Snow, and displaying the mood mannerisms of Metric, this is a high skilled operation live in action. With an additional track, 'Clairvoyant', maintaining the lofty standards, you don't need to read the future to know that the follow up EP the band are currently recording will be a work worth exploring. Come for the party, but if you use your BRNS people, you'll be the ones leaving with a new gift.

Mexico by BRNSmusic

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Up On The Clouds No 3

Allow me to share with you a little observation I've made readers. Come Spring or Summer each year, our excitable online news outlets like to wheel out the following headline: 'UK braced to bask in unseasonably high temperatures this weekend'. Very nice. The things is though, I've noticed that what they actually meant to type was this: 'It'll be baking hot in Bournemouth so we're off to the beach to build sandcastles - enjoy your freezing fog you daft northerners!!'' Not that I'm bitter at all! So if like me you're stuck inside shivering in your shorts, what to do? Well let me tell you - combat the cold and disappointment by taking a trip over to Soundcloud!...

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...Because there you'll find a new track form CALM AS THE COLOUR, and as we all know, the sun always shines down on their world! 'Sometimes' is the lead track from the bands upcoming 'Tomorrow Belongs To A World Apart' EP, and if by any chance fellow Scots For Abel are in need of some kindred spirits to spark a scene, then they need look no further. Mix '87 vintage Primal Scream in with some mid 90's Teenage Fanclub and Bob, it would seem, is your jangly uncle.

Sometimes by calmasthecolour

Now that's got you mentally bathing in the warm weather, you'll be wanting something to sweeten your ears while you lie back picking the grass and watching the clouds - what do you know, SUMMER HEART is at your service! The Crown Prince Of Chillwave (that's not an official nickname, I just made it up, but David if you're reading you can have that one on me!) is back with more wafting, woozy beats, to set the scene for his debut album 'About A Feeling', due out on April The 25th. In advance of that the record's first single will be 'A Million Times', and it's available right this minute for free!

A Million Times by SUMMER HEART


After such a relaxing afternoon in the sunshine you'll probably be feeling in a generous mood and want to take your significant other out for a spot of dinner wont you. Well while you're in the restaurant, make sure you pay attention to the young lady tinkling the ivories in the corner - it's only I AM HARLEQUIN playing her new track!!! A sweeping and striking ballad, 'Wild One' took it's public bow on last Monday's episode of Skins - so that makes it official, if you want to be allowed to hang out with the cool kids you'd better get this bought!

I am Harlequin - Wild One by I am Harlequin

Of course the night it still young, and on your way home from the meal there's every chance you might stumble across a party in full swing..... which you should continue to walk past and instead go to the one in the warehouse down the road, where MOSCOW YOUTH CULT will be set up sharing their dark, warped interpretation of electro. So that you know what to expect, you'd best grab the free download of 'Phase IV', a track taken from their upcoming LP 'Happiness Manchines', and study it intently.

p h a s e i v by Moscow Youth Cult

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Well that turned into quite the day didn't it, don't forget to slap on the after sun before bed readers!! Oh and if you're not to busy then why not pop back round on Thursday and meet the next band to join the club.

foundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk

Found - Delta/Alaska

When upon last Friday night, The Found Of Confusion was engrossed in a charity quiz night (seeing as you’re dying to know we finished second, stupid picture round with its movie stills!!!), the following question was asked: ‘What is the 5th letter of the Greek alphabet?'. The designated ‘writer’ of our team immediately scribbled down the relevant response and sat back nodding confidently. Now, not knowing the correct answer and feeling inquisitive, a colleague to my left enquired discreetly of me ‘is it ‘Delta?’, to which I replied, ‘I’ll ask her’ – you can imagine the hilarity that ensued when the rest of the table thought we had actually been discussing this week’s Founders DELTA/ALASKA, spooky or what!

Presuming our cloth eared companions misguided assumption had actually been correct, what could they have gleamed from their well executed eavesdropping? Well first and foremost, they'd be left in no doubt that Delta/Alaska spin out the type of tumultuous and instinctive indie-rock jams that are designed to get your gig going threads dusted off and down the front for a serious shake down. Conceived in the autumn months of 2010, the five piece from the north side of London quickly dipped their toe in the industry water, launching a single 'Start With The Cage', before then opting to gradually seep further material out via a number of compilation appearances. Those tracks united to form January's debut EP, and the self titled collection is proof positive that opposites not only attract, but can also gel into a desirable relationship. In this instance the yang of the co-dependency is keen to flex its force - 'Vancouver's thunderous drum assault, the brewing storm clouds of 'D.L.O.I', and some fierce At The Drive In licks, combining to blistering effect - but the music's inner strength comes from the calming counterbalance the yin provides. Part Lilies From Mars, part Durutti Column; childlike, feminine vocals, intertwine with aquatic guitar melodies to confirm that at the eye of the tornado there's a tranquil haven to be found. This marriage of styles is at its most captivating on 'All Our Friends By The Sea'; the smooth waters of the songs opening minute, rapidly being displaced by a tidal wave of fuzz and frenzy that crashes out of sight almost as quickly as it arrived. If the quiz question many music fans in 2012 are asking is, 'Where are the exciting new bands?' then it just might be that the answer on the pad will read: 'Delta/Alaska'.

Vancouver by Delta/Alaska

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Found - Peace

Sit down beside me child for yours is the kingdom and.. blah de blah blah - no reader, I've not been Canonised (yet), I'm simply using biblical language as a rather clever means of conveying the impression that I'm feeling serene. The reason for my meditative calm is that we presently find ourselves in the midst of Lent, which for those non Catholic readers will be more familiar to you as the no mans land between the night you scoff loads of pancakes and the morning you shovel in big chocolate eggs. This is a period that requests we spiritual superiors take time to ourselves - atheists, think of the hermit in Life Of Brian as a guide - look inwardly, and reflect on what we could do better to make ourselves and those around us happier; in short to find peace...so that is exactly what The Found Of Confusion has done!

It turns out the path to PEACE is actually the M6 into England's second city, and it's one this blog first metaphorically travelled in the middle of last year. The strong desire to feature the Birmingham quartet at that stage, was tempered by the fact that the somewhat mental, epileptic-endangering, video for 'BBlood' caused this writer to feel like death incarnate, so a decision was made to sit tight and wait for something more visually suitable to appear. Thankfully that has now materialised in the shape of new single 'Follow Baby', and with heavyweights like the NME hitching up on to the bandwagon, let's hope there's still room for a little one to squeeze on at the back. Those clambering aboard, are likely to be discussing how the new track is not only kinder on the eyes, but also a treat for the ears. Both the prior mentioned 'Bblood' and it's partner demo 'Vials' promised much, abducting Foals mix of math rock rhythms and hollow melody and then giving the sap a lesson in how to toughen up, via some primal drum skin bashing and a growling base line. On 'Follow Baby' that attitude remains intact but the band have stepped out sporting different garbs; a straining vocal and grunge inspired intro pays worthy respect to The Vines, but it's the anthemic simplicity of the chorus that will really make you sit up and take notice. Throw in the type of static charged guitar riff that served Suede so well through their formative years, and what we have over the course of just three minutes is one of the best singles of the year to date. So sorry all, If you're looking for peace then you've come to the wrong place, it seems this band are about to turn things up a lot louder.

BBLOOD by P E A C E

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Around The Founds

Bandcamp is buzzing, Facebook is fit to burst and Soundcloud's straining on the leash - Found Of Confusion related news is dropping in left, right AND centre, so here are the best bits for you to digest.

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Destination one is the good old North East of England which is a veritable hotbed of fresh activity at the moment.  We've already discussed Shields, so who to go with this time...hmm...eeny, meeny, miney, MAUSI! The funky indie pop quartet this week shared a live session version of a brand new track that, consistent with their cheery character, carries the title 'Disney Films'. You can download the tune from the bands Soundcloud page (here) but for the full experience why not watch the video first.

We can't use the combination of 'Funky' and 'the North East' and not mention TOMAHAWKS FOR TARGETS who sneaked out their debut album 'Invasion On A Budget' last Monday. You can listen to the record in its entirety via either Bandcamp or Soundcloud but if you want a taster of what you can expect then lend your ears to this teaser below

Good things come in three's apparently so can we make it a trio of tunes from Tyneside? Of course we can thanks to RETRIEVER! The gritty garage rockers have revealed that they will be releasing two new tracks for download on April the 16th. 'The Curse' and 'Setting Sun' will be available from the group Bandcamp page, and they follow on from free track 'Happiness Falls' which you can grab with a little 'black arrow click' action.

Happiness Falls by RETRIEVER


From the far north let's head south...and then south again....and then a bit more south - Isle Of Wight we're coming your way! No we're not arriving double early for the festival, we're just popping by to break the news that THE SHUTES have a new EP on the way. 'Echo Of Love' will be released (complete with coraltastic cover art) on April the 2nd, and as that's really not far away you should probably familiarise yourself with the title track - so here it is:

Echo Of Love by The Shutes

Finally who's up for some news from THE BILINDA BUTCHERS? Good, because I certainly am! The California duo have completed work on their, as yet untitled, second EP, and hope to bring it to the public domain in the coming months. If you're really hungry for new material though there is a further option. Debut release, 'Regret, Love, Guilt, Dreams', is now to be put out in Japan with the addition of three extra tracks, 'Stevie Nicks', 'My Little French Song' and 'Left Behind' - so head over to Facebook for relevant purchase links. Furthermore the band also have a Soundcloud remixes page (here) where you can enjoy others attempts to rework their existing material, and there's no better effort than Public Transport's excellent handy work with 'Tulips' - enough to keep anyone going I'm sure.

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And with that we are done here, see you back on Thursday Foundees!

foundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk

 

Found - Them Swoops

In the pantheon of great words 'swoop' is criminally overlooked. From the squiggle of the 's', past the 'oo' and on to the puckering 'p', what we have here is a 100% top combination of letters! For some reason though, only newspaper headline writers seem to have permission to use it, either for sport (Chelsea SWOOP for sixth manager this month), crime (Ofcom and Police SWOOP on Sound Of Confusion blog) or stories about idiots (Human Parrot injured after SWOOP off Western Super Mare Pier ends in rubber dinghy collision). On the horizon though a new lease of life may beckon for this ambitious adverb, one that will find our favourite word nestled within the inky embrace of the music press!

The responsibility of leading our dictionary bigwig out of the shadows and on to adoration, rightly requires broad shoulders; how fortunate then that Melbournites THEM SWOOPS have six arm-and-neck connectors between them!! But while the scapula offers support to the name, it's the sleeves with the garage pop anthems stored up them that you really want to keep your eyes on. Two such brightly coloured tunes were abracadabrad into the open last month, when the trio teamed up with Cosine Records (the label that released Good Dangers 'So Unkind') for the promotion of a double track single. The A-side 'Work Around It' launched in with a purring 'Eye Of The Tiger' rhythm, before quickly submitting to its singalong sensibilities, combining the chugging, candy floss melodies of Phoenix with the sunny spirit of Vampire Weekend. Companion track 'Take Your Time' had a more hallucinogenic hue; the sprightly acoustic strum and featherweight vocals being preceded by reverse tracked harmonies, that in turn re-emerged come the chorus in order to provide the platform for a killer hook to take flight. What's even more thrilling is that a third composition, 'Too Fast For Love', combines the best bits of both of the above; the base bouncing and rolling like a boxer up on his toes, and the guitars swaying and...well... for want of a better word swooping! We started by praising a word, but sometimes there's only so much even the best ones can say, in this instance it's the actions that are yelling from the rooftops.

Too Fast For Love by them swoops

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Want to swoop in with your opinion? Comment below, make yourself known on Google+ (via the red G up to the right) or send an e-mail direct to me at foundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk

Something Old, Something New....

 ...Something Borrowed and Somethings Blue, Soundcloud links and videos too, all in a blog post made just for you.

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Let's start with the old, namely a track that's already been featured in this blog, but now appears with a different twist. GOOD DANGERS recently posted this stripped back version of 'Abigail' on their Facebook page and it only seemed fair to pass something so nice on to you the reader.

..and that's not all, we're going double bubble for Good Dangers, as they have also uploaded to Soundcloud another tune from their existing repertoire, this one goes by the name of 'DFYF':

Good Dangers - DFYF by GoodDangers

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Just the one song in the 'new' section today (although there will be plenty more fresh tracks in posts of the near future) and on this occasion the virgin material is coming from SHIELDS. The band, who we first got to know when they were called 'Pilots', will be releasing 'All I Know' on the 2nd of April and it's a colourful and breezy burst of indie pop, perfect for its Spring setdown:

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Our something borrowed isn't actually borrowed as such, more transferred if you will. The track is called 'Loco Luvva', and we first featured it on this blog when Dimbleby and Capper performed it live at last year's Feistbelly Festival in the New Forrest. D&C have of course now morphed into FEMME and they've thankfully taken this cracking track with them, last week uploading a fine studio version for us all to enjoy:

LocoLuvva by FEMME

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Finally the something blue is, not as you may have hoped, something pronographic; instead it's a new EP from Sheffield lads BLUE LIP FEEL (even better!). They hope to release 'The Glitterbox EP' at some point in the not too distant future, but while you wait for the opportunity to buy it, you get to hear what you'll be receiving for your money, as they've uploaded each of the four songs to YouTube - nice work boys! Here is the title track to get you started:

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That should be enough material to set your wedding disco off nicely, so therefore my work here is done for today - over and out Foundees!

Want to get in touch foundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk, comment below or come Google+ing

Found - I Am Harlequin

I'm sure I've heard of this weeks new 'Found Of' artist before .... of course, I remember now!: 'I am Harlequin!; No, I am Harlequin; It is I who is Harlequin!'.... ah no, that's Spartacus isn't it ..... hmm ..... 'I am Harlequin AHA!!' ... nope that was Alan Partidge ... 'I am Harlequin - get me out of here!!!' No, no that's not it ... hold on it must be those 15 rugby players stood over there, I'll ask ... 'I'm sorry old chap, we are HarlequinS' ... oh, my mistake ... *scratches head*... I'm well and truly stumped then, just who is Harlequin???

I AM HARLEQUIN! Nice one, she's over here readers, mystery solved; and by 'she' we are of course referring to Anne Freier, a German born, London schooled, musician, who might just be positioning herself  perfectly to nip in stealthily and scoop up the prized mantel of 2012's electropop princess! Where in turn Little Boots, La Roux and Ellie G strided, so, many have followed, but if Freier is to break the big time it's likely to be through tapping into the fan base of one other of the chart crashing, twenty first century, girls. Last October's debut release, 'The King's Daughter', displayed all the grandeur and orchestral flourishes that have propelled the career of one Florence Welch and her Machine; check the rumbling drum patterns, choral backing vocals and pivotal piano tinkles if your require any conformation. That track was one half of a double a-side release, and it's companion 'The Liberty' was equally radio primed, quickly unveiling a great chorus hook and utilising the persistent pop patterns of fellow stars in the wings The Good Natured. A new track 'Onesome' will officially drop during the middle of this month (for free no less) but if in the mean time you still need convincing, then head over to her Soundcloud page and discover how she breathed new life into Queen, with a remarkably fresh and unique remix of 'Don't Stop Me Now'. Depending on which tradition you choose Harlequin is either a source of romance and magic, or a slow and stupid individual - these tunes fall under description one, make sure you don't ignore them and encapsulate description two.

I am Harlequin "The Liberty" by Fred Hystere

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Did this bring colour to your day? Let me know with an e-mail to foundofconfusion@hotmail.co.uk or a comment below - or come into the inner circle on Google+ by way of the red G over on the right.