30 September 2010 - 0 Comments

RENEE-LOUISE CARAFICE – I WILL RAISE A BIRD ARMY

Following the extraordinary and critically acclaimed “Tells You To Fight!” - which in 2008 made it into Nick Bollinger's “100 Essential New Zealand Albums”, won the Alternatui award and featured prominently on many ‘Top 10 Lists’ - comes the starkly beautiful and gently disturbing second album, “I Will Raise a Bird Army”. Having recorded her debut with Steve Albini’s(Pixies, Nirvana, PJ Harvey), “I Will Raise A Bird Army” instead found Carafice hiding out in the deep recesses of Onehunga at Hill Street Studios, before returning to Chicago to add some production magic with Xiu Xiu mastermind Jamie Stewart.

For Fans of: Nico, PJ Harvey, Joanna Newsom

THE HUNDRED IN THE HANDS – THE HUNDRED IN THE HANDS

“Brooklyn-based pop alchemists” The Hundred in the Hands release their debut full-length on Warp Records. “The Hundred in the Hands” LP is an album of deceptively complex pop songs which hark back to the dance music of NYC’s storied underground. The album is a product of DIY home-recording plus a series of studio sessions in London and New York with contributions by producer friends including Jacques Renault, Richard X, Eric Broucek and Chris Zane. The band’s self-titled debut album is an epic collection of adventurously crafted, perfectly manufactured and deceptively complex pop songs

For Fans of: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The XX, Bloc Party

CLAUDE CHALLE & JEAN-MARC CHALLE – SELECT 2010

Claude Challe is a DJ and club owner of the Buddha Bar. A fan of all things occidental, the young Challe travelled to India, Nepal and Indonesia, inspired by the sights and sounds, he incorporated them into the Buddha Bar. In 1999 he produced the first of the “Buddha Bar” compilations. Acts that have appeared on the compilations include Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Faithless and The Gotan Project. “Select 2010” is the latest release in which Claude Challe and his brother Jean-Marc share their favourite tracks of the year. “Select 2010” is an extremely juicy cocktail of surprising and sophisticated flavours.

For Fans of: Buddha Bar, Siddharta, Hotel Costes

GRASSCUT – 1 INCH / ½ MILE

The debut album from Grasscut is a transcendental journey from the Sussex South Downs of to the Nintendo cathedral. Grasscut songwriter Andrew Phillips is an award-winning film and television composer with over 100 screen credits. He is also a former keyboard player, vocalist and arranger with One Giant Leap. He is joined on this journey by classically trained double bassist, keyboards player Marcus O'Dair. Their music is a remarkable achievement – an evocation of a place and time where the countryside meets technology, a kind of inter zone between the past and the future.

For Fans of: Boards of Canada, Robert Wyatt, Bonobo

THE WONDER YEARS – THE UPSIDES

"The Upsides" is a record about hope. During the past year, The Wonder Years felt like sadness had become the status quo and that didn't sit well with the Philadelphia-based five piece. An idea struck the band that this constant state of defeat was no way to live and out of that, "The Upsides" was born. The result is 12 tracks of overly honest pop punk that resonates with the band's past influences like Motion City Soundtrack, Saves the Day and The Starting Line, but also speaks to new influences like Thursday and even The Hold Steady.

For Fans of: Hellogoodbye, Jimmy Eat World, The Get Up Kids

Thanks to www.border.co.nz for this story.

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