Travel By Telephone

Clock Opera - White Noise

2009-11-28T19:06:00.006Z

Somewhere between Four Tet, Cut Copy and Doves sit Clock Opera, the London-based 4 piece. With big harmonies, bouncing synths and more than a little dancability they're an exciting live prospect when you mix it with their tasty visuals.

They know how to pick a video producer too, Aoife McArdle, who recently produced an ad for GQ.

Clock Opera - White Noise from Killer on Vimeo.

Download Clock Opera - White Noise

You can buy 'White Noise' on 7" vinyl from Puregroove now

myspace.com/clockopera

p.s. Here's that GQ vid

GQ - L'homme Ideal from Aoife McArdle on Vimeo.

Fránçois & The Atlas Mountains - Plaine Inondable

2009-11-24T13:33:00.004Z

Bristol-based French native, and part-time Dirty Projectors, Francois returns with a new studio recording next month, due for release through Fence Records.

New single 'Be Water', with it's yodel-like vocals and soft female backing, is truly infectious and mesmerizing. The guy is clearly talented, just check out this beautifully animated video for the track.

If you're based in London get down to the show on 30 Nov at The Betsy Trotwood to see him play with the almost perfect Planet Earth.

myspace.com/francoisinbristol

Babe Shadow - Sea Serpents

2009-11-24T00:19:00.001Z

Caught these lot playing with the Ex Lovers a while back.

They are definitely influenced by the incredible Griffy Finn / Jayden Penguin Took rhythm section featured in this cover of Marc Bolan's 'The Street and Babe Shadow'

Baby Shadow - Sea Serpents

Myspace: myspace.com/babeshadowband

Rose Elinor Dougall

2009-05-17T17:11:00.004+01:00

If you know your Pipettes you'll recognise this little face as Rosay from the Brighton indie-pop girl group. We'll since April 2008 she's been an ex-Pipette and writing on her own.

Late last year she released 'Another Version Of Pop Song', an up-beat and sublimely produced track which finds some middle-ground between psychedelic Beatles and Bat For Lashes.

On 8 June she's releasing 'Start/Stop/Synchro' which continues down a similar route rife with elegant strings, flutes and keys. Be sure to buy it over at rosedougall.com as you'll get free tickets to the single launch.

Unfortunately there's no video that I can find, so instead let's reminisce about when she was in The Pipettes and all do 'The Finger Wag' and 'The Shocker'!

Rose Elinor Dougall - Start/Stop/Synchro

Myspace: myspace.com/roseelinordougallmusic

Priscilla Ahn

2009-05-08T12:40:00.005+01:00

For those who missed Priscilla Ahn's performing 'Find My Way Back Home' on Jools Holland recently, make sure you watch it right now. It's note perfect, effortless and she looks absolutely gorgeous.

She's playing Glastonbury this year so if you're going make sure you catch her on the Queen's Head stage. Her album, 'A Good Day', is available now.

Split Series Priscilla Ahn - Are We Different
by lablogotheque

Myspace: myspace.com/priscillaahn

Ra Ra Riot vs Passion Pit

2009-05-05T22:48:00.003+01:00

So the Passion Pit album's leaked. That's the problem with super-hyped indie bands isn't it, and by now almost everyone has heard it by now. Good though isn't it! As well as 'Sleephead' and 'The Reeling', also make sure you check out 'Folds In Your Hands' for the best PP have to offer.

Their awesomely rippy video for the new single is below:

One of the prerequisites for bands getting signed nowadays is they have a defined sounds, and Passion Pit's comes wading through in their edit of Ra Ra Riot's 'Ghost Under The Rocks', taken from their debut album 'The Rhumb Line'.

Ra Ra Riot - Ghost Under The Rocks (Passion Pit Mix)

Myspace: myspace.com/passionpitjams

Dent May vs Mayer Hawthorne

2009-04-30T13:54:00.004+01:00

This post has NOTHING to do with Napoleon Dynamite, but the image above is probably the closest thing we have to footage of a real battle between these two tropical-soul behemoths.

Let's start with Dent May.

So Dent May may be a joke. Let's look at the evidence:
1) His band is sarcastically named 'Dent May & His Magnificent Ukelele'
2) His videos are super-kitsch (see below!)
3) He went to a pretentious New York film school
4) He's done a ukelele Prince cover

Despite all these factors, I can't help but think this guy is amazing. Jest or not I had 'Meet Me In The Garden' in my head for nearly a month, and his cover of Prince's 'When You Were Mine' is a magnificent re-invention.

Dent May - When You Were Mine (Prince cover)

Myspace: myspace.com/dentmay

Now to Mayer Hawthrone.

Predominantly from a hip-hop background, Mayer Hawthorne looks much more comfortable in a New Era cap than tweed. Hawthorne's style and musical leanings therefore collide in his video for single 'Just Ain't Gonna Work Out', featuring bling and creased trousers and bitches and good manners.

Listening to both back-to-back it's difficult to pull the two apart. There's certainly more honesty in Hawthorne's music than Dent's, and he's already been heavily supported by Mark Ronson. However if I had to pick I'd go for that magnificent ukelele...

Mayer Hawthorne - Maybe So, Maybe No

Myspace: myspace.com/mayerhawthorne

Chew Lips - Solo

2009-04-30T12:35:00.004+01:00

Continuing on my catch up on the last 6 months of music, here's Chew Lips!

Featuring stylishly cheeky frontgirl Tigs and backed by her two multi-instrumentalist bandmates, the band sound is as full of jerks and bleeps and it is smooth bass and floaty guitar riffs. Primarily working from programming and keys, they've managed to borrow the sound of YYYs 'It's Blitz' and We Have Band whilst also sometimes sounding like some long-lost Doves track.

Make sure to catch their Kitsune show at La Scala on 20th June, and get this awesome Tepr remix on your techno playlist.

Chew Lips - Solo (Tepr Remix Version Finale)

Myspace: myspace.com/chewlips

The Juan MacLean - One Day

2009-04-28T23:35:00.007+01:00

Shazam is a wonderful thing. I'm only just beginning to harness its awesome power, for example it becomes exceptionally useful when you want to know EVERY song from someone's amazing but obscenely obscure 70's disco set.

Well 'One Day' was the first song I ever Shazamed and it's rarely been off my stereo since. It's something of a minimal-disco-electronica masterpiece. Featuring John MacLean (ex-James Murphy best pal) and Nancy Whang (current James Murphy best pal and LCD Soundsystem member), it's another example of the genius of The Juan MacLean.

Download the superb Lazaro Casanova remix below.

The Juan MacLean - One Day (Lazaro Casanova Haunted Dub)

Myspace: myspace.com/thejuanmaclean

Back to life with Local Natives

2009-04-28T22:28:00.006+01:00

Welcome back to the blog!! It's now called Travel By Telephone.

So I'm totally obsessed with Local Natives. Ever since I heard the "oooooooooooaaaah boooooos" of 'Airplanes' I haven't manage to listen to any other album. Oh that's apart from Eoghan Quigg's album which is on Spotify and is an unmissable triumph!!

Not only have Local Natives made a superb album fleeting between the greatness of The National, Arcade Fire and to a lesser extent Vampire Weekend, they can also make a damn good viral.

Check out Airplanes and fall completely in love.

Local Natives - Airplanes

Myspace: myspace.com/localnatives