Casual Sex - Stroh 80

I'm a big fan of the label Moshi Moshi; their taste in music is rather good, always discovering little gems  and providing a stepping stone for a number of artists who have gone on to bigger things; Bloc Party, Florence and Hot Chip to name a few.

One of their forthcoming releases is from a Glasgow band, the brilliantly named Casual Sex. I imagine that this blog may get a lot of hits!

Released on limited edition 7-inch vinyl via the Moshi Singles Club on 1st April, 'Stroh 80' is a fuzzy electro/acoustic groove with slices of glam guitar thrown in for good measure.

The production is rather beautiful, the lyrics full of humour and the delivery coming on like a cross between Alex Kapranos and Kevin Rowland with a dash of Bowie.

Dream, I dream til you leave

Cause you, you poison my sleep

The band launch the single with a show at Nice'n'Sleazys on Friday 5th April.

2012 - the year of Hot Chip?

2012 is shaping up to be an incredibly busy year for Hot Chip.


Following on from hit singles and critical acclaim for songs like 'Over and Over', 'A Boy From School', 'Ready For The Floor' and 'One Life Stand', the band will release their fifth album later this year.


In anticipation, the collective have already been confirmed as headliners for Camp Bestival and the Hollywood Bowl. It doesn't stop there.


In an incredible burst of productivity the band have several 'extra curricular' activities hapening, starting with the release today of 'Be Strong' by 2 Bears, a side project for Joe Goddard.

Joe had a great end to 2011 with the release of the single 'Gabriel' (featuring Valentina), with the track making many end of year 'Best Of's'.

'Be Strong' is released today via Southern Fried Records. It has been picking up outstanding reviews, expect one from me in the near future. I'm listening to a stream on The Guardian website just now and it sounds typically fresh, funky and euphoric, taking in a variety of influences.  I don't know who is guesting on the track 'Time In Mind' but it sounds like a great summer single, while other tracks are set directly for the heart of the dancefloor. Closing track 'Church' is on my stereo right now - it is an anthem. I am currently contemplating the bundle with tshirt, tea towel and ping pong bats; however I think I'll just go for the CD from Mono with my birthday vouchers.


“thumping album of proper house music” (Word)


“a really beautiful work of art about love and unity” (Annie Mac)


“one of the most anticipated albums of 2012″ (The Observer)

It doesn't stop there; New Build featuring Al Doyle and Felix Martin from Hot Chip are set to release their own album 'Yesterday Was Lived And Lost' at the start of March, taking it on tour including a date at Captain's Rest on the way. 


Check out the album and more details HERE

With a Camp Bestival headline slot already confirmed and a prestigious Hollywood Bowl show in the diary for September, Hot Chip clearly mean business. 


Lead singer Alexis Taylor had this to say to the NME


"We're really happy with how it's going. We're trying to build up a good batch of songs before we get too excited about finishing the album... We want to keep going and try out as many different things as possible, so we've got the best album we can make."


I'm only just checking out the 'extra curricular' activities (as Hot Chip refer to their side projects) and if the friends have kept their best work for Hot Chip then we could be in for astonishing tunes.

Chair by Big Deal

This week whilst browsing some websites on t'internet I stumbled across a couple of review of 'Chair' by a band called Big Deal that caused me to check them out. I'm glad I did.

I've just bought their album 'Lights Out', so expect a review of that at some point in the future. In the meantime kick back and watch this live version here and read the review below;

So what do you get with Big Deal? Are they a big deal?

Well they are a good deal and that is enough for me. The fact they had previously released a single on Moshi Moshi - purveyors of exceptional taste - before signing to Mute Records is a good start.

Fuzzy, scratchy electric guitar is underpinned by acoustic, the perfect soundtrack for dreamy boy-girl vocals courtesy of Kasey Underwood and Alice Costelloe. Costelloe has indie pinup  potential, a cross between Debbie Harry and Kim Gordon.

Lets get on to the music though. 'Chair' is under 3-minutes of pure pop dealing with that good old subject of love and relationships. 

Within 30-seconds we have the line 'only want me for the songs I write about you, about how I like you' over a gentle acoustic riff before the fuzzed guitars kick in.

Costelloe's vocals are sugar sweet with a razor sharp edge, one minute in the song lifts with the bittersweet line;

don't you wanna have that morning again, 

wanna be your lover I'm trying hard to be your friend

And the hook

you don't trust me to sit on your bed

put me on a chair in the corner instea-ea-ead

Before the kiss off;

you're so sweet and you keep me that way

mess with my head, mess with my head

Five for a Friday

In what may or may not become a regular post, here are five songs for your weekend.

I discovered this gem on the St Etienne mix album The Trip. This is just sublime, the vocals are reminiscent of a young Michael Jackson, the musicianship is tremendous, the feeling of the playing and the production just oozes soul. This is Foster Sylvers with the 1973 track Misdemeanor.

Next up we have Glasgow art school combo Orange Juice with this outrageous slice of pop-soul-funk. I've got this on 12-inch and the sticker in the middle looks like a sliced orange - I love that kind of stuff - geek.

For some reason when i search to post the 'long version' it doesn't come up - how annoying, so click HERE


For my third choice it is one of my all time favourite songs, the original version of Come Together by Primal Scream. Utterly magical pop music, later transformed into a gospel house anthem by Andy Weatherall for the Screamdelica album. I never knew this version existed until I bought it on 7-inch vinyl out of the original Missing Records many moons ago.

Again, youtube isn't letting me embed it so click on the link above.


Moving forwards we come a little bit more up to date with this track featuring two of my favourite acts/artists; Hot Chip with Bernard Sumner. This is pure old school with Bernard clearly relishing the chance to produce something of note after the demise of New Order.

We end with track number 5, a recent discovery through Moshi Moshi, this is Clock Opera with the sublime Belongings.