Blaenavon - My Bark Is Your Bite

My bark is your bite, but time after time, I lie because the mind says it's the best thing to do, for you.
The mind says it's the best thing to do, for you, my mind says it's the best thing to do.
My bark is your bite, it's like kind of right, but I lie because the mind says it's the best thing to do.
So I'll take one more chance, I'll dance if you'll dance.
I'll try because, the mind says it's the best thing do.
The mind says it's the best thing to do, for you.
My mind says it's the best thing to do.

I stumbled across Hampshire, UK three-piece Blaenavon this weekend and I think I found a new favorite. Blaenavon is named, I think, after a small town in Wales and while I can't seem to find a whole lot about them, I think it's clear they're a very talented young band on the rise. They don't have much out yet, just a couple of EPs, but I've listened to and I'm a bit obsessed at the moment. 

Every track is solid and it took me forever to pick a song to showcase. From "Prague" which gives off a bit of a We Were Promised Jetpacks vibe to the stellar "My Bark Is Your Bite" (their most recent, and my eventual choice) and the dreamy "Wunderkind" which got me thinking of one of my all time favorite bands, Gene. They also reminded me of times of Foals, Radiohead and Little Comets. So they're in good company. There is so much going on in their music, and I can't wait to hear more. Here's to hoping they've got a full-length coming soon, and, fingers crossed a US tour.

Upcoming Shows

PAPA - Hold On

If you let them, they'll tell you what clothes to wear
So every time you see some asshole walking down the street in your tee shirt
You wonder, "Hey, is that me?"
And if you let them, they'll tell which records to buy
Which sound nothing like the love you make
But would be the soundtrack for your misery

PAPA is, basically, your sexiest nightmare, a group of (spicy bold amoebas) guys out of Encino, CA. The lead singer is also the drummer, so that's fun. Their lyrics and sound are refreshing modern indie rock that is too irreverent to be hipster, and yet still too cool for school. I have a lot of favorites in their back catalogue, but off their latest release (Kick the Dust, came out last month) it was a real coin toss to share this track or "Comfort's a Killer" so I'm giving you a bonus track...  Happy weekend, all!

Upcoming Shows

Jagwar Ma - Slipping

Waste, oh oh
Waste, oh oh
Cause time is slipping away
Someone wait, oh oh
Save your soul
Cause time is slipping away so fast
Time is slipping aways so fast
So paint your pictures in your mind
In your mind
It's alright
We dance in circles 'til we're tired
Then we'll rise
Forever

There is something sort of "Manchester Scene-esque" about Australian duo Jagwar Ma. More refined, and with a polished, 2010's spin, but I can't help but think Stone Roses, or Inspiral Carpets when I listen to them. And I loved those bands, so you might imagine I'm really enjoying their new (sophomore) album Every Now & Then.

They've been floating around my rotation for a few months now, ever since the funky "O B 1" hit a few months ago. I was immediately recalled to the early 1990's when mixing strong dance grooves with indie rock was a new thing. Sure, you hear a lot of that now, but Jagwar Ma hits a bit closer to what I consider that original Manchester sound. You'll find more of that on Every Now & Then, but there's also great diversity there and the makings of a heavy rotated long player. 

Upcoming Shows

Kittens of the Internet - Golden Lights

We ride the bus late at night
Lonely driver's cravin' company
Talk through our fears and fight the years, growing old
(No comfort at all)
Tonight the moon is brighter than two lights
Bite the bullet, swallow bitter aftertaste
Dreaming of treasures our ancestors never foresaw at all

These golden lights
Dance me round the floor
My eyes mislead
Deceive me once more
And I discern that everything I've learned seems to
Disapear
When I'm trapped by fear

It's been a little while, but TMIS is focusing down under again today on Kittens of the Internet, an indie pop duo out of Aukland, NZ. Along with the songs Mahuia makes with Katie as KOTI (their first EP came out last month), he produces music for other artists and commercial outfits, and has received awards for Best Music in Film a couple of times from the Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA) - I think that's like a Golden Globe or Grammy for artists from that region. Besides that just being pretty cool, I mention as it goes to show how clever they are - which I think was already evident by the name of their band, and the lyrics to this track, and how Katie enunciates. 

Upcoming Shows

The Faint - Young & Realistic

Your lows were low, I was familiar
Bulgarian choirs in your head
The clouds were black but not forever
You'll wake up better like I said
Remember how it was when we first met
It was impossible to know what you were thinking
Every other girl, afraid of the world
Second-guessing every movement that they're making

You're not the type to go looking for flaws
You don't have to skewer somebody's passion
Competitive cats can fight cats
While you're in a deep conversation

I'm a big fan of The Faint's work, but, sadly I guess, they've been mostly slipping past my radar for years. I've given their last few albums a cursory listen, and I've seen them a couple times. Which is always a blast. But I felt they've never been able to capture the fun, late 80's awesomeness they had with Blank Wave Arcade, Danse Macabre and, maybe a bit less so, Wet From Birth.

Still, feeling nostalgic, I checked out their retrospective album Capsule:1999-2016 for fun. And look what I found! I a couple new songs that DO, very much so, capture that sound. First up, our Most Important today. "Young & Realistic" is Danse Macabre The Faint, striking a great balance between song and dance. It's got all the bells and whistles; a lilting bassline, pew-pew synths, robo vocals, dark wave breakdowns, etc. Red Flag would be proud to have released this one. 

BONUS TRACK

Then there is "Skylab1979" that hits on a more straightforward industrial sound, that might not quite ring as true as "Young & Realistic" but makes for a fun throwback, for sure.

Upcoming Shows