Mondkopf

There are plenty of artists who aspire to make a difference in this sector and so few who actually do. Mondkopf manages to capture a story-line line and turn it in to a compelling piece of work. The fusion of styles are worked through the desk with ease and out comes more than a mere piece of electronic wizardy, but a complete story, to which the music is the messenger.

I rarely turn my hand towards DJs and in fact Mondkopf is the first I have featured on the main website, but this is not out of a dislike, merely the reality is that so few add value to the world of music in the greater context. Here is a hugely talented exception.

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Rising Doom is available on *

If Monkopf plays any-where near you, I would suggest you would be hard pressed to find a better way to spend that particular evening.

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General Bye Bye

General Bye Bye, fill me with a sense of fun. The heavily accented vocals, discordant instrumentation and a jarring sense of timing are the hallmarks of creativity or incredulity, in this instance I reference the former. Edvard Munch challenged perspective and I find this is a band which fills a similar void.

Electronics back-up against an ‘ ‘Allo ‘Allo – Captain Crabtree’ inspired vocal, with guitar and drum interspersing the discordance. Sloth like progression is suddenly riven with a rude awakening of intravenously injected antidote. Tracks float on their own ether to unknown spaces as instrumentation is added and dropped at what appears a whim, yet the disturbing volatility adds value and General Bye Bye float to a space which makes perfect sense, as with the asynchronistic pier and rail of The Scream, when juxtaposed against the over-arching framework and so sits this highly creative French band.

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Plastiscines

Teetering on the edge of mainstream plastic pop, Plastiscines successfully negotiate the arete, creating an enthusiastic and energetic flow of sound which encapsulates a swathe of influences. Their distinctive sound spins around the ears whether they sing in English with a rock driven edge or a sultry Blondie influenced chanteuse sung in French.

I find myself reminded of the French,punk bands of the late ’80s and early ’90s, earthy yet intrinsically and effortlessly elegant. Plastiscines,  in a brief space of time captured the essence of their message, challenging without being confrontational and been able to transpose the attitude to a creative and well crafted musical out-put.

Currently in the studio recording a new album, it will be interesting to see if they can continue to retain their hard fought reputation.

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Formed back in 2008, the trio of Victor, Melvyn and Lucas decided to eschew bass guitar and launch their take on psychedelia, with variations combinations of drums, 12 string guitar, regular guitar, organ and vocal.

Strange Hands

With their minimalist approach, Strange Hands generate a sound which leaves me with a grin on my face. The very primitive approach creates a sense of absolute authenticity. Undoubted references to the ’60s hippie era are bounced forward to resonate clearly 50 years later.

I can somehow imagine myself sitting in a field, engrossed by watching a wood carver, as the music cleaves itself in to focus. The simplicity of the construction belie the creative forces which enable Strange Hands to make a sound of real substance.

The lack of Bass guitar actually enhances the atmospherics of the music, as it all becomes an ethereal whimsy. Snatches of progressions which are impossible to grasp hold of – yet seem to be created out of granite blocks.

With a  Mainland European Tour coming up later in the year it would be worth taking time to put their visit in the diary ahead of other events.

- ACID VISION – Strange Hands from tab_ularasa on Vimeo.

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My girlfriend is better than yours - photo credit Oliver Peel

It would be very easy to dismiss My girlfriend is better than yours on the introduction, but it would be the wrong thing to do in my opinion. The experimental instrumentation combined with well written lyrical content which is simultaneously superficial and resonant of life experience, creates an output which ranges across a variety of styles and moods.

When playing live the duet work with the same musicians, which enables the material to come to life. My girlfriend is better than yours works as an audio entity, a performance outfit and with video which encapsulate the sentiment behind the songs.

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My girlfriend is better than yours far from being something Laurie and Olivier play with in their spare time, the duet are highly creative and relevant. Their EP Foreplay was released on 10th October 2009.

Chicros

Chicros are one of those bands who present their message in an understated manner. On the surface appearing to offer great musicianship and creative psychedelic indie pop the output is    far more than this. It is music which is carefully crafted against a backdrop of emotive lyrics as the music paints the picture of each songs entirety. Chicros are a group of creatives, who have found a superb medium on which to paint their canvass. The melodies range across wide influences. The ’60s beat generation one moment is replaced by the output of the alternative bands of the ’80s which may then be replaced by psychedelia. Chicros are confident talented musicians who easily interplay between each other with a sound and style that is absolutely in tune with the lyrical output.

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Their recently released album Radiotransmission doesn’t yet have an available digital download, as soon as we get news the indie bands blog will let you know.

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