Siloet – Control

It might be pissing rain in London constantly right now, but let’s pretend it’s summer with this soul-tinged house number by Siloet.

Lovelace

If you’re well into harmonies, and you love a bit of folksy, Alice in Wonderland-esque magic sounds, then here’s one for you.  Lovelace, aka Rebecca Whitbred, has made a self-titled EP packed with such stuff, and one that’s also refreshingly unique – a rare claim in today’s musical world.

She says: “I’m now renting a little studio on the Hackney Road, working on my next album (I will release at the end of the year) and developing my live sound.  I wrote my first five-voice choral piece for the London Contemporary Voices choir (whom I sing and now compose for), which was the opening piece for an incredible night at the packed out Shoreditch Church recently.  Since breaking my wrist two months ago, I’ve also been developing a more electronic sound, using synths and samples… I’m gigging again now, which comes in the form of a one-woman band, me, a fender, fractured vocal harmonies, various loop and effects pedals, percussion, and the occasional ukelele.”   Read the Hackney Gazette for more on Rebecca.

A Grave With No Name

Gently-whirring synths, whispery vocals, an underlining pop melody and a generally groggy air – all quite Veronica Falls, all perfect for those times where sitting still is the best medicine.  Alternatively, A Grave With No Name‘s new single is also the perfect soundtrack for kicking leaves around on a slow Sunday, or daydreamy bus rides home after unremarkable pints in an unremarkable pub.

Aurora comes from the new album, Whirlpool, released through new London label Stare Records (currently no website that I can find) on 1 July.  A Grave With No Name is essentially Alexander Shields plus, in this current existence, a rotating line-up including Echo Lake‘s Linda Jarvis, Akiko Matsuura of Comanechi and singer-songwriter Alanna McArdle from Ides and Joanna Gruesome.  All, some or none of those will join Alex at AGWNN’s headline, album-launch show at Birthdays on 17 July.  It’s McArdle who features on Aurora.  (via Sexbeat / Deerlodge / The Line of Best Fit)

Is Tropical – Dancing Anymore

Instead of the usual Friday Films, today’s post will just focus on one new video in particular: the one to accompany Is Tropical‘s Dancing Anymore, their latest single from the new record I’m Leaving.  A comic and compelling watch, it features a horny, house-sitting French teenager, with masturbation scenes that immediately got it banned from YouPrude.  As for the song itself, I can’t recall Is Tropical ever being so ice-cream poppy, but they sure pull it off the style with aplomb.

If the video strikes a familiar chord, then here’s why: it’s a loose follow-up to Is Tropical and Megaforce‘s previous collaboration on the infamous The Greeks video, which presented a much gorier boyhood fantasy.  This latest effort is set a few years hence, with the boy’s thoughts having turned from guns to girls.

Cloud Boat – Book Of Hours album

Time for a long-overdue Cloud Boat catch-up.  Purveyors of eternally bleak, but generally rather beautiful, shoegaze soul, the dup have a new double-A single coming on 20 May via Apollo, featuring the songs Youthern and the surprisingly-fast, surprisingly-trancy Hammerspace.  My advice would be to wait a week, though, for then comes a debut LP, Book Of Hours, featuring those two songs, other recent singles like Dréan and Wanderlust, and extra tunes beside.  That one’s also out via Apollo.