So Much To Give, So Much We'll Never Hear

I've been criticesed for having the tenacity to dare to write about music that people have already heard off. I have let my core audience down and I'm terribly sorry for this neglect. Worry not though, I present you with a choice selection of three wilfully obscure songs and one with a whiff of being on the cusp of indie- stardom (I dapple in oxymorons too). Basically, I'm saying that Twin Shadow are on the doorstep of the garden path to the house of near-obscurity to the greater public, but near to the hearts of the select indie-navel-gazing-pitchfork-reading few - I heart you Twin Shadow!

The New Division - Starfield


Starfield is an instant winner, with its sharp trickling synth and melodramatic yet distant vocals. More than anything though, it is carried by the heavy and meaty bass - a bass that will echo in your head for days. There really isn't that much else to say. Enjoy.

Chad Valley - Ensoniq Funk


Looping wood- block sounds opens Ensoniq Funk and from then on it explodes into full chill- wave goodness. It somehow manages to sound like the perfect song for a summer barbecue, but also like a warm hug of a pop song during these wintery cold months. Listening to it is like hearing a fantastic 80's pop song (full of synth horn- and string stabs) played through a broken car speaker far away. It's that magic quality of chill wave, where you instantly invoke a nostalgic sound and feeling even though you have no real previous ties to the music.

Fiction - Phyllis


Trustworthy sources tell me that Fiction have consistently been one of the best live band in London over the past year, so no faint praise there. Their music nods heavily in the direction of Talking Heads, but with a bit of the synth-y weirdness that made Late of the Pier interesting. Phyllis is a playful little tune with an afro- beat guitar, a bouncing bass- line, lots of rim taps and some of that previously mentioned synth-y weirdness. FUN!

Twin Shadow & Hooray For Earth - A Place We Like


By all means this should be a pop smash. First of all there is the bass and kick drum combo, which screams dance (dance!), on top of that there are flute-y synths, hand claps and Spanish guitar (!). Everything that should be cheesy and wrong is put together and just works. However, what really gets me is the blissfully happy chorus. If you don't smile when you hear this, then you're dead inside. Literally (figuratively).