I may be a few months behind some of the hipper than thou US blogs on this one, but ever since the delicious Love Shack, Baby brought them to my attention with Violet Eyes, My Gold Mask (Bandcamp | MySpace | Twitter) have found their way onto far too many of my personal playlists and yet some how I have been neglecting them on here. Well time to set the record straight…
Gretta Rochelle’s vocal slide between soaring and screeching, with and effortless cool that reminds me a little of Blondie …

The Eels-esque, sweet lullabies of The Candle Thieves impressed me on their debut EP, and the good news is that they have a full length coming out on April 5th. The questions is – are they going to cross the line into sickly sweet as they sometimes have, or are they going to show more depth and variation that is possible with a long play? We will just have to wait and see – it could be amazing, it could be the complete opposite.
They will be releasing a single called …

Two Door Cinema Club (MySpace) have been on repeat here at Walrus Towers since this time last year with danceable rhythms, catchy as they could be vocals, buy my God do they lend themselves well to the ‘ole remix treatment. I included the French Horn Rebellion remix of their single “I Can Talk” on the last Clap to the Electricity mixtape earlier this month, and here we have another.
Undercover Martyn is their latest single (video below), this time showing a more wistful and tender side with “words that will melt …

Mumford & Sons (MySpace) were quite easily one of my favourites bands of 2009 (and Lauren’s too) with their fantastic EP and album releases. And The Cave was my favourite track of the bunch – enough so that I introduced it on the Contrast Podcast end of year countdown. But now they are releasing it as a single on 1st March, which is great news if you want a copy on 45 and in the fact that they have done a video.

I would give tour dates as they are one …

After a year in which folk and electropop ruled the roost it is about time that growling, thrashy rock and roll stuck its head above the parapet again – and The Federals are here to do just that.
Swaggering their way from York, and naming their influences as The Stooges, the White Stripes and BRMC – this four piece provide the snarling vocals, destroyed guitars, and moshable rhythms that should make you stand up and take notice. Violent, unruly and just what the music world needs at the moment – a …

Thanks to my lovely friend Tory I managed to get a last minute ticket to see The Rumble Strips (MySpace) and The Maccabees (MySpace) at the distinguished Hospital Club in Covent Garden last night. It was great to see these two back on the same bill again and this was part of the Barclaycard Mercury Prize Sessions which have hosted Noah and the Whale, Florence and the Machine and the Golden Silvers over the past few months.
I hadn’t been to the Hospital Club before, but I have to say its …