So I had started the year quite well in terms of regular blog posts but a rather hectic 6 weeks or so through March and into April and then a lovely holiday in the South of France has meant that I have really not posted or blogged about a number of things that I have wanted to. So count on this as a round up of my albums of 2012 so far...I had originally intended to do reviews for all of them!

Expect my next installment to include; Admiral Fallow, Grimes, Miaoux Miaoux and Dexys.

2 Bears - Be Strong

Joe Goddard from Hot Chip and friends have produced an album that is practically a love letter to dance music and clubbing. Opener 'The Birds & The Bees' is perfect for a sunny day, 'Time In My Mind' sounds like something Mike Skinner may have mis-placed, 'Work'is heavier and progressive while 'Church' is suitably moving. A great album.

New Build - Yesterday was Lived and Lost

Felix and Simon from Hot Chip/LCD Soundsystem formed their own label and band to show that it isn't just Joe and Alexis from Hot Chip that have all the songwriting talent. Live they combine guitar pop with funk, soul and house...they are just as good on record.'Medication' is brilliant soulful guitar pop, 'Do You Not Feel Loved?' would fit effortlessly on to any Hot Chip record and 'Finding Reasons' is laid back bliss.

Lightships - Electric Cables

Lightships is Gerry Love from Teenage Fanclubs 'solo' project. A number of years in the making it has all the trademarks that Love has practically licensed during his years with Teenage Fanclub. Gorgeous vocals, stunning harmonies, blissful guitar, plenty of references to the sun, sunshine and city living....

Alabama Shakes - Boys and Girls

Opening with the tremendous 'Hold On', Alabama Shakes set their stall from the word go - raw and soulful. An old school garage band. The guitars, production and vocals are all served raw and pure. Turn it up and blast it out. Brittany Howard has an astonishing voice, look out for producers and songwriters seeking her out for guest vocals.

Django Django - Django Django

Gaining increasing exposure from the best kind of advertising; word-of-mouth (not to mention some very clever strategic press), Django Django's debut album is gathering a great fanbase in time for festival season and future tours.

New Build and Nevada Base at Captain's Rest, 7th March 2012

I am pretty manic at work just now so I am only just getting around to blogging about a cracking gig last week...

Tuesday night saw New Build, consisting of Felix Martin and Al Doyle from Hot Chip (Doyle also plays/tours withLCD Soundsystem) and friends, roll into town to play only their sixth ever gig at the tiny Captains Rest. Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem are two of my favourite acts from the last 10-years and although Martin and Doyle are not the main creative forces in either of those bands (see Goddard, Taylor and Murphy), I was still keen to see what they could conjur up in a dark crammed basement.

2012 is shaping up to be a huge year for Hot Chip as they are set to release their fifth album, their first for their new label Domino, and with Goddard already releasing an album this year under the moniker 2-Bears, the New Build project seems to point to members of Hot Chip being at something of a creative peak.

New Build’s debut album Yesterday Was Lived & Lost was released on Monday on the bands own Lanark Recordings label. With such a DIY approach to the release and tour, Nevada Base were hand picked to support New Build and drum up interest in the Glasgow electro community; not a hard task when you mention the names Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem.

The gig ended up being a complete sell out and there was a real sense of anticipation in the air as I headed along to the venue at the back of 8pm. I met James from Nevada Base outside and asked how soundcheck was, only to discover things were running late. So I headed down to the basement to check what was going on, in perfect time to catch New Build soundchecking. Their 7-piece live band were ripping it up and this was only the soundcheck.

I had the pleasure of speaking at length with Felix from the band about the label (Lanark - after the book by Alistair Gray), the artwork (by his Dad and his brother) and the music of New Build and Hot Chip. Hot Chip had just confirmed that their fifth album will be released by Domino and Felix is pretty excited about it. I ended up offering to do New Build's merchandise for them and got a free album as a result - what a nice guy. A review will follow shortly.

With a queue developing upstairs Nevada Base blasted through a soundcheck and it was doors open at 9.10pm with Nevada Base on stage to a packed crowd at 9.30pm. 

Nevada Base played a cracking set, gathering conifdence from the off by the large majority of the crowd that were there as a result of them. The addition of a drummer to the line-up in the shape of Calum Muir has really helped loosen the band, allowing them to jam on songs and take things futher. They certainly did that through the set with new song 'Chameleon' being a real highlight, starting off with an almost reggae groove before going off on one. 'Kisses Her Bullets' was also a standout with singer Albert getting lost in the music and it was smiles all round on stage. Closing with 'If I'm Late' was a great move, the crowd danced and chanted along with the chorus and hooks, this was a blinding set and the crowd and band knew it.

New Build didn't waste much time in following Nevada Base on stage and they quickly slipped into top gear. Third song in 'Medication' was introduced as 'a short pop song'. A brilliant short pop song would have done it more justice.

Taking inspiration from house and techno as well as “the eccentricities of artists such as The Human League, Peter Gabriel, Robert Wyatt, Chris & Cosey, Cabaret Voltaire and Eno”, New Build played the whole album and had great fun in doing just that with Al Doyle beaming from ear to ear.

With drums and percussion, including a steel drum at times, the sound was rich and diverse, the melodies were certainly Hot Chip-esque. The single 'Do You Not Feel Loved?' went down a treat whilst album closer 'Silence and the Muttering' was a shimmering masterpiece.

New Build's performance and on stage chemistry backed up the feeling I get from their artwork, the fact they have released this on their own label (not for want of offers, but to squeeze a release in with all other Hot Chip related activities they had to do it) and their music - they are doing it because they love it and it shows.

Check the album, streaming from their website. It is already a favourite of mine and I will review it on a later bog.

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.