The Metal Hearts’ second album Socialize has a steady, brooding urgency that makes for a not entirely comfortable listen, but it is compelling all the same. The stark, simple sound of Anar Badalov’s and Flora Wolpert-Checknoff’s guitars is clearly influenced by Cat Power, and is always underpinned by their reliable drum-machine. Occasionally things build up to create a denser, more enveloping sound, recalling the weightier moments of Mogwai’s Rock Action LP (check out Mountain Song on the band’s myspace page and see what I mean). Flora’s voice seems to be more prominent than Anar’s, though they mostly sing in unison. This adds warmth to arrangements that might sometimes feel a little structurally exposed.

Amidst all this bleakness, the title track stands out for its major key melody (at least in the chorus) and soothing, delicate vocals. It’s a great introduction to the The Metal Hearts, and you can download it right here…

The Metal Hearts - Socialize

Buy Socialize LP

metalheartsmusic.com / Myspace

Hamish.

P.s. Please let us know what you think of the music we recommend - leave us a comment by clicking the link below. After all, the reason we write on The Blue Walrus is because we want to talk about the music we love, so it would be great to know if people agree or disagree, with us or with each other, about what we say about bands!

Larrikin Love are just not getting enough airplay over here in the UK in my opinion, so I guess they are getting nearly none other than satellite radio in the US. The indie radio shows and stations have had them in rotation for a while, but with their debut album being released soon I’m hoping they might break into the mainstream along with the Fratellis who also release an album soon.

Larrikin Love

Here is a band from London, UK that has a completely different sound to the normaly London crowd (Babyshambles, Dirty Pretty Things, etc…). The sound has a little bit of irish folk to my ears, as well as a little bit of punk. My favourite track, Happy as Annie, is being released on Monday so I thought I shouldn’t post that one ;). The album is out pretty soon as well, and is an absolute cracker. They might dress like gypsies, but their live show is full of energy and they have some fanatical fans.
Larrikin Love / MySpace
[Buy] Larrikin Love - Freedom Spark (pre-order)

Larrikin Love - Forever Untitled / 2

The Fratellis

Being as the Fratellis are releasing their album, Costello Music, next week I thought I would post a new track from them too to get you all drooling in anticipation in what I think will be one of the albums of the year.
The Fratellis / MySpace
[Buy] The Fratellis - Costello Music (pre-order)

The Fratellis - Got Ma Nuts From a Hippy / 2

-Tim

Is Fionn Regan just another Damien Rice? (please keep reading…) No! The two are analogous up to a point - same nationality, both singer-songwriters, a similar raspy, honest voice, but pleasingy Fionn is miles apart in every other way. His voice has an engaging innocence and his compositions avoid the cloying sentimentality that Rice trades in, whilst still managing to pull gently at the heart strings. The music is folksy yet innovative, with twists and idiosyncrasies that frequently make your ears prick up. This eccentricity courses through his lyrics as well, the charming meander of ‘Put A Penny In The Slot’ a case in point.

Fionn’s new album ‘The End Of History’ was released in August on Bella Union records, and you can buy it at Amazon, well worth the bargain eight quids they’re selling it for!

Fionn Regan - Blackwater Child

Fionn Regan / Myspace

I’m a bit late to post this one up, but 21st season is in full swing and a work deadline crept up on me leaving little time for updates from me (luckily Hamish picked up the ball with a few great finds though).

For those fans, like me of Billy Bragg or Voxtrot (or of course Sufjan - who incidentally is releasing a 5-disc Christmas special soon)there should be a new addition to your musical vocabulary and that is Aaron Schroeder. When some friends heard it they thought it was in the twee pop category (along with Voxtrot), but I thikn the voice, which reminds me slightly of Conor Oberst, has a little more depth than that genre.

The folky feel and lyrics makes you feel like you’ve known these songs forever, but they have something new and fresh and will have you singing along for days You can imagine an old raconteur regailing these tails of love and life in a park sheltering under an oak tree in a storm. For some information about Aaron, he’s a 23 year-old(so just a little older than me ;)) Washingtonian (ed) and has got one album under his belt already, with another coming out soon.
MySpace
[Buy] Aaron Schroeder - Southern Heart in Western Skin

Aaron Schroeder - Santa Ana / 2
Aaron Schroeder - Sky Ain’t Blue / 2

-Tim

For Those Who Know, from Austin Texas, are the second band to cause some serious spine-tingling at The Blue Walrus this week following the juddering drone pop of Snowden. FTWK cite many influences from the early ninties shoegaze scene (evident in their reliance on a reverb-heavy guitar sound), but there is clearly also a pop sensibility at work here in the form of singer Steven Hablinski.
The two songs for download here are from their self-titled EP, released in 2005. ‘Competition’ is a stirring ode to love lost, the pretty vocal melody relenting only to joyful peals of guitar in the chorus. ‘Perfect’ is more upbeat, carried along by taut drumming and great squalling stabs of guitar with Hablinski’s gentle, limpid croon still to the fore.
Their website describes much better what they do, and you can download the rest of their EP there if you go to the audio section.

Competition - FTWK
Perfect - FTWK

Hamish.