Finally, after a 3 year hiatus MSTRKRFT release their second album, Fist of God! I loved their first album, The Looks - it is probably one of my most played albums of the last couple of years and combined all of the ferocity I had grown accustomed to from Keeler (formerly of Death From Above 1979) with a new robotic, dancy edge.

Their new albums features many collaborations, including songs with Gostface Killah, N.O.R.E. and Lil’ Mo and they have combined to produce some very good tracks. A very powerful, synthesizer punch comes from nearly every track as per most MSTRKRFT songs, however there are some more lyrical songs, and a couple of more melodic additions. Stand out songs for me are, Bounce, Click Click It Ain’t Love and Heartbreaker, but it all is a great listen. The only problem I have with the album is that I am slightly unsure of the direction they are heading - there are elements of rock, electro, house and rap and they all come together with a slight element of confusion. I feel that it’s predecessor, The Looks remains the better album, however they both deserve a purchase - Brilliant!

7.8/10

- Stuart

“Invaders Must Die” - it is, for me, one of those releases that stands out above pretty much anything else. The Prodigy have a tradition for lengthy gaps between albums (a lovely 5 years this time) but manage to pull off a great LP each time. You could almost say it’s well worth the wait, however I hate waiting for releases that are this good (how can you tell I’m a huge Prodigy fan!). I first heard that they were to release a new album last year and managed to hear the first single, Invaders Must Die which gave me an instantly good first impression. A hard-hitting song with early Prodigy sounds, mixed with the more contemporary music scene. This basically sums up their album to be honest. A very hard-hitting album that has a lot of influences from their early music, yet, has been brought up to the more modern standard.

The album progresses well with the second single, Omen and continues with some amazing tracks; Thunder, Colours and Warrior’s Dance to name a few. They are on tour at the moment and will be for another couple of months so I would try and get to a gig if you can - it will be epic! I can’t really say much more except… research and listen if you still aren’t sure and then buy this album! It is for me already the release of the year and one of the best albums I have personally heard in a long time.

- Stuart

It’s been a long, anticipated wait for me, and when I heard that Yuksek’s first LP was being released in February I was straight online with my payment details at the ready! It was released on the 9th in the UK ad of course I received my copy on that day! Influences apparent in his numerous EP releases such as; Tonight, It Comes or The Wax, all come together to create an amazing collection of tracks - a lot of which are released/heard for the first time.

The track listing is as follows:

1. Break Ya
2. Tonight
3. A Certain Life
4. Extraball
5. Take A Ride
6. I Could Never Be A Dancer
7. So Far Away From The Sea
8. Little Dirty Trip
9. This Is Not Today
10. I Like To Play
11. So Down
12. Freak O Rocker
13. Eat My Bear / Tonight (Cover)

The album is more varied that expected actually, and include collaborations with Shitdisco, Chromeo and The Shoes. It starts well with the new track, “Break Ya”, and leads well into the familiar releases of “Tonight”, and “A Certain Life”. “Extraball” is the other single and I am very impressed with it - this is the start of the unknown for me, since nearly the rest of the album is, to my knowledge, unreleased before now. An extremely good album sure to be on my list for the year already. For any Yuksek or electro fan it is a must-have, and to be honest - anyone could buy and listen to this album! If anyone has any doubts then there’s a nice taster mix on his Myspace Profile at the moment.

- Stuart

Well I feel that as I am posting this on the first day of the grand year that is Two Thousand and Nine I should put up some of my preferred music released in the last 12 months. Firstly, I’m afraid to say that I will be doing it in the clichéd way of naming releases (that’s including EP’s and LP’s) - which is always hard work so I may just have to do a similar idea to this soon but merely using single tracks. Secondly, I wish to point out that these are not necessarily what I feel to be the best albums of ‘08 because that would take me forever and then I would probably still be no closer to a conclusion. I think I will end naming the albums that I have listened to most in this list.

I chose the seemingly random number of 6 because I couldn’t limit it to the normal 5:

6 . Kitsune Maison Compilation 6 - Various Artists
A great collection of electronic tracks from such artists as Digitalism, La Roux, AutoKratz and many more. Definately worth a buy.

5. Oracular Spectacular - MGMT
MGMT seem to have taken the world by storm, and their major label debut is anything but a disappointment - a great album worthy of the soundtrack to ‘08 in my opinion.

4. Music For An Accelerated Culture - Hadouken!
From USB sticks to pure digital releases - Hadoukens numerous collective releases were finally released in their debut full-length album, and anyone who even remotely likes them must have this album.

3. Nights Out - Metronomy
Metronomy’s second album carries on from the first very well. Sticking to the original but catchy style this is a truly great release that makes it into my top three.

2. Fantasy Black Channel - Late of the Pier
A fan of the band for a few years now, I have been eagerly awaiting the full release of this debut album after listening to numerous demo’s and remix’s. An amazing first LP, worthy of the second spot.

1. Tonight (EP) - Yuksek
Throughout making this short list I have to admit the few tracks released on Yuksek’s 6th EP, “Tonight” have always stuck in my head as the ones I have constantly been listening to in the last year. Only released in September I really do admit that this does come in at number one for me - the songs are just masterpieces in my opinion. A MUST have.

To sum up, I feel that there is a huge amount of potential there - since half of those releases are debuts, and all of the artists have a lot more to give I am sure. It’s been a good year for music, but obviously everyones list will be different so just add any comments if you want to put forward yours.

Happy New Year,

- Stuart

The Rakes have announced they are set to release their third album ‘KLANG’ on the 23rd of March, with the single ‘1989′ one week earlier (16 March) on 7″ and download through V2 / Co-operative.

The album was recorded at Planet Roc Studios in Berlin and produced by Chris Zane (Les Savy Fav, The Walkmen, Passion Pit).

I am pleased to announce I may share the full tracklisting with you:

You’re In It
That’s The Reason
The Loneliness Of The Outdoor Smoker
Bitchin’ in the Kitchin’
The Woes Of The Working Woman
1989
Shackelton
The Light From Your Mac
Muller’s Ratchet
The Final Hill
Never Get Married

Also, the band managed to film a bit whilst locked away recording the album. A bike / walking tour of the facilities cut to the first single ‘1989′ is the result - but please note; it’s not official video, just a preview of what’s to come.. you can find the video on youtube by clicking here.

Check it all out! ^_^
- Luu

Good morning. I have something of great delight to share with you on this beautifully muggy Sunday morn; Boom Boom Satellites and their CD “Exposed”.

“Japanese dance rock pioneers Boom Boom Satellites (aka
bassist/programmer Masayuki Nakano and guitarist/vocalist Michiyuki
Kawashima) celebrates their 10-year anniversary with the digital release
of “Exposed.” Boom Boom Satellites are widely considered one of the
first true “dance rock” band’s (the genre didn’t even exist back then)
and their impact is felt in the music of some of today’s most popular
artists. “Exposed” offers 12 tracks that blends philosophical lyrics and
an untamed physical rave experience with the toughness of rock’n'roll
and the precision of electronic programming.”

Well, I hadn’t read that part of their bio before I cracked into this album and wasn’t suprized when I finally did read it. This album definitely mixes a rock sound with some beautifully electronic based vibrations and merges effortlessly. I am so into them they haven’t been off my stereo… in fact, I’ve had to turn my last.fm tracker off so I don’t look like a loon listening to them over and over. I have a severe weakness for Jrock, although if you listened to their album without a visual aid you probably wouldn’t know any different, they present themselves in clear English throughout the album.

The first track that catches me is, “Bring It On Down.” It sounds familiar in a really pleasurable way. I may have heard it already but I’m finding it hard to place just where. It’s fast moving, catchy and repetitive in a comfortably tingly way. It sends vibrations to the musical soul and makes you want to move. If you love electronica, you should check these guys out. If you are on the Hadouken! bandwagon, these guys aren’t as in your face but will fill the gap with a uniqueness. You can check out their video of the track “Easy Action” here on youtube.

There are twelve tracks on the album but “Six Fourty Five” is easily the strongest track for me, closely followed by “Fiends” and “Get Back In My House”. All three tracks are very much electronica based with immense lyrics. This is music I would expect to hear on a good night out. It would be easy to OD on these guys.

All of the tracks on the album carry an indefinite quality and do not compete with one another for play time, each being unique. There is not a track on the album I would dare to skip, which is rare for me. They have a clearly distinguishable sound. I am in love.

MP3: Shut Up And Expload - Boom Boom Satellites

- Luu

Guest Writer: Sid - Music Liberation.

Lock up your son’s and daughter’s because Jon Jones And The Beatniks Movement are in town. Actually lock up anyone you have a passing interest for, as these boys take no prisoners!

Hailing from Bradford, this young haired motley crew play a bleak blend of garage/stoner rock with some vicious punk undertones. Suffice to say their not going to be the next darling cover stars of NME. But they might just be your new favourite band.

Recently released E.P “Engine Rooms” featured some of the band’s strongest material so far in their relatively short career. It’s fast, slow, heavy, quiet, but always pretty weird. The bass is deep, guitars are manic and the drums intense. Front man “Irish Joe” has a pretty distinctive voice, but that said it is quite similar to that of Guy McKnight from Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster. Not that that’s a bad thing. There’s also a link to The Horrors, particularly with their ghoulish sounds, but JJ & The BM are nowhere near as commercially accessible as the London based band.

Released on the gloriously named “Fuck Off Records”, the E.P “Engine Rooms” is available now. It’s a refreshing change to hear a band experimenting and not caring what anyone else thinks of them. The band has a few gig dates scattered around various places up North, check their myspace for more information.

Sid - Music Liberation

So this week I’ve mainly been putting some last min planning into Last Letter Read’s forthcoming lil’ UK tour. Apart from that, it’s been band planning, booking recording of our new EP, and spending too much money on eBay and my usual constant efforts of promoting on MySpace.

Hit The Lights – Skip School, Start Fights 8/10
Obviously, I’ve been listening to a lot of music, and this week I’ve been enjoying the brand new Hit The Lights album, ‘Skip School, Start Fights’. It’s a 13 track blast of power pop fun that’s full of sing along chorus, clever guitar riffs and will be perfect for the summer.

The album begins with ‘Count It’, and it may initially make you check if you’ve put on the right cd. Is it the into to an 80’s love ballad or is it the new HTL album? Luckily, it is the new HTL album, and it’s a great lil into track which leads you to get smacked in the face with the great riff that ‘Breathe In’ provides. Next up is first single ‘Stay Out’, which again starts with a riff which is textbook HTL. You can really tell why this is chosen as the first single with its sing-along ‘woah-ohs’ and with its simple structure, it’s so easy to pick up and trust me, it’ll be stuck in your head for days. Track four is ‘Drop The Girl’, and is my personal favorite from the album. This is the third version I’ve heard of this song and it’s by far the best one. They’ve changed the key and added better harmonies, and this really should be the second single. The song has a great rhythm and it really drives you through the 3 mins 22 seconds, guaranteeing you enjoy every hoop & swoop & that awesome chorus every time it comes along.
’Tell Me Where You Are’, sounds a bit darker, in a rather similar style to Armor For Sleep. I think it’s the first time HTL have gone for a darker tune like this, and to be honest, they’ve pulled it off really well. Sometimes when bands go for a track like this, it normally turns out kind of dull, and ends up a skip track, but not this.
Next up is the speedy track ‘Hang Em High’, which brings us back towards the happy Hit The Lights sounds we’re used to. It’s a simple blasting pop punk song, which the band know how to create repeated.
Another thing this band do is constantly write brilliant guitar riffs that stick in your head just as well as the melodies do, and this shows again in ‘Back Breaker’, which is another stand out track, with a really great breakdown.
’Don’t Wait’, is a track jam packed thru of emotion. A great pop song, with piano thrown in for good measure. It still keeps the up-beat feeling that you come to expect, yet it stands out due to its originality compare to some tracks on the album that sounds a little similar to each other.
Track 9, ‘Cry Your Eyes Out’, is defiantly a song that should be played live, not that it sounds bad on cd at all. It’s a real get up and go song, with a real hint of Four Year Strong in the instruments & verse melody.
’Statues’ is probably one of my least favorite tracks on the cd, but this doesn’t mean it’s a bad track, it just doesn’t quite come out & grab you as much as most the other tracks on the cd do, and the hooks aren’t quite as big.
Next up is ‘Say What You Wanna Say’, and by now you can tell HTL really are just brilliant at writing great guitar riffs, and they love opening songs with them. This song has a chorus which is bound to stay with your for ages, due its simplicity and repetitiveness without being annoying.
The title for the next track is a little deceiving as it does anything but what it says on the tin. ‘Winding Down’, is full of the harmonies which HTL have perfected on this album, and you can really tell the progression of their vocals on this cd from ‘This Is A Stick Up… (Yes I know they have changed vocalists).
The album closes with ‘On & On’, which is a perfect song to end on. A track that, in the majority, quite quiet, but builds up to a massive outro full of layered vocals, which fade out with the guitar to end the cd.

This album could have ended not being the HTL we’ve come to love, but luckily the new lead vocal change hasn’t affected the bands great recognizable sound at all. If anything, it’s bettered it! ‘Skip School, Start Fights’, is pretty much a perfect summer album, that builds on its predecessor ‘This Is A Stick Up…’, and after a couple of listens you’ll find yourself eagerly awaiting to see what these Ohio lads can come up with next!

Now, for something unrelated
The past week I’ve spent many hours on Burnout 3 + 4, therefore I’ve been enjoy a nice mix of music I enjoy thanks to its brilliant soundtrack, plus I’ve just got hold of the new Zebrahead album, so look out for a review of that soon!
I’m off on tour from Friday, so be sure to check out our dates on MySpace, and come say hang out with us & bring us food cos we’re poor!

Rob!

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/LASTLETTERREAD

To celebrate the upcoming San Miguel Hidden Depths event with The Glimmers in Manchester on 10th July we are giving you the chance to win one of two copies of ‘The Glimmers Are Gee Gee Fazzi’, their album featuring ten addictive tracks!

To Win: All you need to do is send us an email and complete the following sentence with a maximum of 20 words:

‘I walked in on The Glimmers with a bottle of San Miguel and…’

Send us your name and address with your entry to: luu@eyemaylisten.com and we will get back to you via the email address you send your entry from if you are one of the winners.

All entries must be in by July 14th 2008 and winners will be announced on July 17th 2008 exactly a week after The Glimmers at San Miguel Hidden Depths in Manchester. There is no age restriction, however if you are under 16 we request that you ask the house owner before giving out your postal address. Eyemaylisten will not take responsibility for loss of items in post, however will obtain proof of postage and claim on anything not received. Any details you send us will not be shared outside of Eyemaylisten.. and we will not send you any emails/post other than to tell you if you have won.. which means… no spam! Wuhay!! ^_^ So…. get your entries in!!

Hey there!
So, first blog, and I’m still unsure with how to get the blog ball rolling here, but I’ve decided to give it a bash!
This week, coming at you like a badger on speed, is not only a review, but my thoughts; rantings too….and that rhymed.

Cute Is What We Aim For – Rotation 6.5/10

Let’s not lie to ourselves, this was a highly anticipated album, not only due to the success of ‘Same Old Blood Rush…’, but also due to legendary producer; a surefire king of pop punk himself, John Fieldman lending his magic touch to it.

The album opens with first single ‘Practice Makes Perfect’, which builds serene guitar picking to the familiarity of Shaant’s vocals, which not only have a pace that grab you, but a melody which you can sing along to with ease. Before the minute mark is up, the chorus kicks in and you feel yourself being reeled in by yet another one of Shaant’s skilled hooks, but yet still teasing you with partial chorus. The song, deceptively clever as it sounds on first listen, is really quite clever with how it builds up throughout the track, and I’m sure this will be a chorus sung by many this summer.
And so onwards! Track 2, ‘Doctor’, was the first song to be released online by the band on their MySpace, and it has to be one of my personal favourites on the album. The tune has drums that really stand out in the verses, clever guitar work, great dynamics, catchy chorus, and an awesome Outro.
‘Navigate Me’ starts off with a strange effect which I dislike, and the verse really does very little for me also, that said, before I write this song off completely, the chorus is pleasant enough, and although quite repetitive, it remains enjoyable. I’m sitting here trying to pick out something I enjoy about this song apart from the chorus, and I really can’t. Luckily for me, it’s used a fair few times in the song, but a chorus does not make an anthem!
‘Loser’ and ‘Do What You Do’ are tracks I really wanted to review for you, but were so devoid of the energy I have come to expect from Cute Is What We Aim For, I found myself reaching to the skip button with every desperate attempt.
‘Hollywood’, is marginally better than the previous two songs, but even its Latino vibe doesn’t stop it from being another quite substandard track, purely due to its lack of hooks.
By now, you may be starting to lose faith in this album, but hold on!
‘Safe Ride’ comes along just in time to save the album from those of you whom may be tempted to just put on a different CD altogether, thinking that Cute It What We Aim For are just a one album wonder.
It begins in a similar fashion to the opening track, but when the verse begins, it is immediately evident the song is going to be far more meaningful, with far more power and drive. The chords underneath the vocal melody in the chorus are just brilliant, and really help add emotion to a chorus which already pulls at the heart strings. Chasing after chorus 2 comes a short yet sweet guitar solo, followed by a middle eight that pours out honesty in the lyrics, making us feel as if some real empathy, or even personal experience went into this song. This song really is textbook pop rock, and with a quiet chorus after the middle eight, the chorus comes in with more intensity than ever and keeps building ’til the end of the track.
‘The Lock Down Denial’ starts with someone who sounds as if they could be Patrick Stump talking in the background (forgive me for my immediate excitement!), then a riff rolls up which sounds like it was plucked straight from the Kids In Glass Houses/LostProphets joint rehearsal room! The riff is followed by a verse which carries you unwittingly right into a god-awful pre chorus, disjointed and unmelodious, it’s almost enough to have me reaching for the stop button. It’s OK though, as the chorus redeems the song, with a simple catchy melody, but this time it progresses into what I guess is a post chorus that is just a bit of shouting. Pre-Chorus number two just sounds just like a track from the latest Sugarcult CD. Basically this song makes me think of multiple bands, as the breakdown sounds just like their label-mates Panic At The Disco.
‘Marriage To Millions’ sounds like a step back to the ‘Same Old Blood Rush…’ days, and this is by no means a bad thing! Another personal favouite of mine on the cd, just a simple poppy summer song which would make a great soundtrack to a party with all you mates.
Track 10 gives us, ‘Miss Sobriety’, and dispite the off putting intro, I really like this song. It really follows a trend which is dominant throughout this cd, simple yet effective, building as the song progresses. This is another song which I love the outro of.
The final song of the cd , ‘Time’, seems just like one of those songs that bands put on the end of cd. You know the type that are quiet, normally boring, dull and probably written at the last minuete. The only enjoyable part in near the end , where the song builds into what could be potentially a great rock ballad, but before we’re treated to such things, the song ends, as does the cd.

I guess i was expecting more from this album, especially as i was egarly awaiting its release for a good 3 months, but it just isn’t that great! Sure there are some real stand out tracks on it, but they seem to contrast some tracks which really are far from greatness.
Here’s to hoping they can pull off these new tracks better live than they did the older ones!

And the rest…

So it’s midday and I’m not sure what to write about.
I have had both ‘Cartel’; ‘Chroma’ by Cartel on constant repeat on my ipod the past week, along with ‘Define The Great Line’ from Underoath, plus tunes from 30 Seconds To Mars, Sugarcult, Anberlin; Forever The Sickest Kids. So if you don’t have any tunes by those awesome bands, go resolve this issue immidiately!

I hope my review tickled your pickle, and I’ll be back writing again next week!

Rob!
www.myspace.com/lastletterread