Track of the Day: 'Forlorn (feat. Busdriver)' by Lapalux

Despite that fact that Lapalux has got a new album out next month on Flying Lotus's Brainfeeder records, he's still found time to set this exclusive non-album track free on the internet today. The track is really a song of 2 halves, featuring the fast-paced vocals of LA rapper Busdriver on the first part, and then exactly halfway through it turns into a much more mellow instrumental.


You can grab it above on one of those 'name your price' i.e. free deals. The album 'Nostalchic' is out on March 25th.

Video of the Day: 'Hold My Hand' by UNKLE

A new video for this track from their last meeting, and one that's co-directed by main man James Lavelle himself. The video is a fly-on-the-wall look at cabaret performer Miss Crash, and although it's already had to be edited to allow it back up on Youtube it's still pretty much Not Safe For Work. Have a look and see what you think of it.

New music: 'Nothing's Changed' by Tricky

Tricky's back with a new album and his own label (both called False Idols), and from it we get to hear this first tack 'Nothing's Changed'. Sounding a lot like latter-day Massive Attack, the track features vocals from Francesca Belmonte, one of a number of acts who've signed to Tricky's label and consequently feature on the album. It definitely sounds like a return to form - here's hoping the rest of the album is this good.

The album will be released via !K7 records on May 27th.

New music: 'Sneaux Flake (Silver Apples remix)' by Eaux

The original version of this track, entitled 'Snow' and featured on the 'i' EP, was a pretty crisp, clean track. Then Silver Apples got hold of it and muddied the waters, creating this very different animal. It's moody and mysterious, at times sounds like there's more than one track playing at once, and may well spook you a bit - see what you think.

Choice Cuts #6 2013

DJ Cull's Choice Cuts #6 by Dj Cull on Mixcloud

Ten more brilliant new tracks for you to soak up. Just click on the play button to listen, the full track details are below:

1. Ghostpoet - MSI MUSMID - click here for free download
2. Marijuana Deathsquads - Top Down (free download of the week on this blog)
3. Yunioshi - Tanlines - new single, click here for details
4. Daniel Avery - Drone Logic (Factory Floor / Gabe Gurnsey Remix) - new single out now
5. Bon Iver - Hinnom, TX (Unders Remix) - click here for details
6. FaltyDL - She Sleeps (2000Black Remix) - from the new single out now
7. The Crystal Ark - Rain - click here for free download
8. Laura Mvula - Green Garden (Karma Kid Remix) - click here for free download
9. Apparat - K&F Thema - from the excellent Krieg und Frieden album, click here for details
10. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Higgs Boson Blues (from the new album 'Push The Sky Away')

New music: 'Metropolis' by RocketNumberNine and Four Tet

The flip side to the new single 'Roseland' (which I previewed here last week) this was also recorded as live in the same session last July. This side is more of a driving, forceful number with a lowdown bass and a slightly seventies feel. I think I prefer this to the other side, but they're both good.



Still no news on the release date for this single (which will be TEXT023) but now that both tracks are out there I imagine it will be with us imminently

Track of the Day: 'Hinnom, TX (Unders Remix) by Bon Iver

A fantastically deep house remix of this lovely Bon Iver track by Dutchman Unders. Stick it on load and sink into its beauty, as Unders leaves the melody intact but underpins it with a sterling house beat.

Video of the Day: 'Poetic Justice (feat. Drake) by Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar seems to be becoming a regular feature on this blog. After yesterday's new verses for Emeli Sande (see here) here's his new video for Poetic Justice, featuring Drake (but not featuring Janet Jackson, who apparently was asked to be in the video but declined).

Recommended music: 'Krieg und Frieden (Music For Theatre)' by Apparat

Not your normal, run of the mill album from Apparat, this is something very special indeed from Sascha Ring. The music on this record was originally written for innovative German theatre director Sebastian Hartmann's new production of Tolstoy's 'War and Peace'. Although a release wasn't planned for the music, by the end of the theatre run it had evolved into something that Ring felt deserved another life, so he took it into the studio with four other musicians and they made it into this. Amazingly intense and powerful at times, but shot through with moments of fragility, it plays out like a film soundtrack, and conjures up fantastically bleak images in your mind. Mostly instrumental, there are just two tracks with vocals, including the plaintive but uplifting closer 'A Violent Sky'.

There's more than a hint of Tim Hecker in some of the tracks, not just in the sound and the drones but in the power of the music. It points at a whole new direction for Apparat and one which I for one hope he takes. I love the fact that you can hear the ambience of the studio, the little imperfections and creaks in the background, there's a real analogue warmth to it that draws you in to the story. It works as a whole piece - Ring has stated that although there are individual tracks it's not a record that's designed to be listened to in small pieces, but rather in one long song. I guarantee that if you put 45 minutes aside to listen to it you'll emerge from it a better person.

You can listen to the whole album below - if you like it then please buy it, as I really believe that the word needs to be spread about this amazing record. The more of you that buy it, the more charts it will appear in, and the more people will hear about it.

Live - in pictures and video: Villagers at Village Underground, London 21/2/13

A few photos and a video from last night's excellent show at Village Underground.

Conor and the band were on excellent form, for me 'Waves' was a particular highlight but they didn't put a foot wrong the whole evening.

Villagers - Village Underground 21/2/13

 The audience were very appreciative, and, as you can hear on the video below, even managed to stay quiet, which sadly is a rarity these days.



All in all a great night. I'm sure they'll be playing much bigger venues by the end of the year - they certainly deserve to be.

New music: 'Rain' by The Crystal Ark

The latest single from LCD Soundsystem affiliate Gavin Russom is now available to download for free, gratis, and with no obligations, form the ever-obliging DFA Records. It's a chunky, funky slice of electro-dance-pop that has been scientifically proven to make you dance more the louder you play it. Grab it and devour it!



Rain is taken from The Crystal Ark's eponymously-titled début album which came out towards the end of 2012.

Track of the Day: 'Next To Me (feat. Kendrick Lamar) by Emeli Sande

Fresh from her Brits success last night, it looks like Emeli will be having another crack at breaking the US with this new version of next to me featuring a couple of verses from Kendrick Lamar. And I'm sure it won't harm Lamar's exposure over here or in the States either. It's true that Sande seems quite an unlikely pop star (far too down to earth and polite), and equally unlikely to hook up with one of hip-hop's rising stars, but I guess that needs must when there are records to sell. Radio-friendly, with no cussing from Lamar, you can imagine this booming out across the airwaves for months to come. It sounds less forced than, say, Kanye West's remix of 'Diamonds', but not too sugary. Next stop for Sande is to play Elton John's Oscars party, before she takes 6 months off from performing live and then returns for the Wireless festival in July. See the official link for the track below from Capitol Records.

Live - in pictures: Dave Grohl's Sound City Players at The Forum, London 19/2/13

The reason this all happened...

Just a few snaps from Tuesday night's gig. (I must get in the habit of taking a proper camera with me as the iPhone 5 isn't a patch on the camera in my old Nokia N8)

Alain Johannes kicked things off

Mr Grohl

Lee Ving from Fear, joined by Pat Smear

This one starts "1234 1234" (like all the rest)

Old punk rockers never die...

Grohl, Hawkins, Johannes, Ving

New music: 'Amok' by Atoms for Peace

Yes it's true, you can stream the new Thom Yorke album 'Amok' here right now, even though it's not released until next Monday. Have a listen and let me know what you think of it.

http://amok.atomsforpeace.info/

New music: 'Green Garden (Karma Kid Remix) by Laura Mvula

18 year old Derbyshire wunderkind Karma Kid has pulled out all the stops on this mix of Mvula's track from her forthcoming album 'Sing To The Moon', which will also be released as a single next week. The handclap-esque rythmn gives way to the drop, and then the bass kicks in, at which point you should definitely have this turned up to 10. Listen and grab a free download above.

New music: 'Roseland' by RocketNumberNine and Four Tet

Recorded last year in one live take, this is scheduled to be the next release on Keiran Hebden's label as TEXT023, backed by another new track 'Metropolis'.

Roseland is a mellow, downbeat sort of track, really chilled and laid-back, and is apparently produced by Floating Points. Knowing the way Hebden releases things these days it's likely to appear in a record shop near you in a matter of days. The release ties in nicely with RocketNumberNine's next live show, which is at Electrowerkz in London this Wednesday (February 20th).

New music: 'Sex EP Remixes' by The 1975

Fresh from the hotly-tipped and probably over-hyped Manchester band The 1975, you can grab this set of remixes for free (or rather in exchange for your email address above). Pick of the bunch is probably the Ryan Hemsworth mix of 'Sex'.

I saw The 1975 live a couple of weeks ago (at Chinnerys in Southend) and they seem to have two distinct sets of songs - the ones they want to write, and the ones their management/label have told them to write to break them into the big time. It remains to be seen whether this will work, and if they'll sell their souls in the process, but I think that somewhere inside the polished exterior there's a decent band trying to get out.

The 1975 live at Chinnerys, Southend 6/2/13

New music: 'Tattered Line of String' by The Postal Service

There's been loads written about The Postal Service recently since they announced some comeback shows and the tenth anniversary re-issue of their only album to date, 'Give Up', on Sub Pop.

This is one of the extra tracks on the re-issue - it's an upbeat, almost poppy track with a melodic chorus, although it does sound a bit dated. Anyway, give it a listen and see what you think.

Choice Cuts #5 2013

DJ Cull's Choice Cuts #5 by Dj Cull on Mixcloud

There's a bumper selection of tracks for you in my new podcast. This is probably the broadest and most diverse set of songs I've ever put in one mix so have a good rummage around in it, I'm sure you'll find something you like. Just click the 'Play' button above to listen. Here are the track details:

1. Foals - Prelude (from the new album 'Holy Fire')
2. Eels - Bombs Away (from the new album 'Wonderful, Glorious')
3. Big Deal - Teradactol (free download here)
4. Lower Plenty - Strange Beast (free download here)
5. Sweet Baboo - Let's Go Swimming Wild (new single out now)
6. King Krule - Octopus (Ratking Remix) (new single out now)
7. Black Dahlia - Fuck A Rap Song (new single out now)
8. Moebius and Plank - Infiltration (Walls Remix) (from the Conny Plank Box Set, details here)
9. Four Tet - Txt022 (the one with the stupidly long name)
10. The xx - Chained (John Talabot and Pional Blinded Remix) (available to buy now)
11. Darkstar - Amplifies Ease (from the new album 'News From Nowhere)
12. Cyclopean - Apostles (from the new EP, details here)
13. John Grant - Pale Green Ghosts (title track from the new album out next month
14. Chrome Canyon - Generations (Château Marmont Remix) (free download here)
15. Joe Meek - Valley of No Return (from the 1960 album 'I Hear A New World')

Track of the Day: 'Generations (Chateau Marmont Remix)' by Chrome Canyon

Regular readers of my blog will know that I'm a huge fan of last year's 'Elemental Themes' album by Chrome Canyon (click here for my review). Word is that there will be an 'Elemental Remixes  album later this year, featuring the like of Peaking Lights and Gavin Russom twiddling with the original tracks. In advance of the album you can get a free download of this 'Generations' Remix, which fleshes out the track a bit and generally brightens and refreshes it.

New music: 'Tanlines' by Yunioshi

Sublime electro-pop from Yunioshi, the first single to be released from their eponymous début due later this year. Sleek and shiny, it reminds me a bit of FM Belfast, perhaps not surprising given that the track was produced in Reykjavik, and the band have played the Iceland airwaves festival for the past few years.

Yunioshi will be celebrating the release of the single with a gig supporting Wave Machines at Village Underground - see the flyer below for details.

Track of the Day: 'Teradactol' by Big Deal

Big Deal seem to have been drinking at the fountain of Sleigh Bells for their comeback single. Big and bold, with fuzzed up but melodic guitars and still the familiar interplay between the male and female vocals of Kacey and Alice.

Their new album 'June Gloom' is out in the summer on Mute Records, and all signs point to an extremely bright season. You can download 'Teradactol' for free above'

Recommended gig: Wave Machines at Club Attitude

Come to this!

Buy tickets here: www.wegottickets.com/event/208658

Line up:

• Wave Machines
• Yunioshi
• Iyes

Recommended music: 'Cyclopean' EP by Cyclopean

Released on the ever reliable Mute Records, this is a new venture from former Can members Jaki Liebezeit and Irmin Schmidt, together with their long time collaborators Jono Podmore and Burnt Friedman. Although there has been something of a surge of interest in all things Krautrock lately (partly fuelled by the release of last year's Can album 'The Lost Tapes') this is not the sound of people content to rest on their laurels and churn out the same old stuff.

There's a tribal feel that undercuts the tracks here - the drumming is repetitive and hypnotic and drags you into the groove of the track. Unusual instruments - theremin, rubber band guitar - combine with the weight of experience of these long in the tooth musicians to create something that sounds futuristic and otherwordly.

Buy it from the Mute store here.

Video of the Day: 'Sound and Vision' (David Bowie cover) by Beck

OK, so he made if for a car advert but still, respect to Beck for taking the corporate dollar and using it to make something creative, startling and brilliant. With his seemingly umlimited budget he recruited a 157-piece orchestra to dismantle, remodel and reassemble the Bowie classic into something slightly unhinged but ultimately beautiful. Almost makes you wish for a whole album of covers from him...

Recommended music: 'Needs Continuum' by Karen Gwyer

An intriguing debut album on the No Pain In Pop label by Karen Gwyer, following her EP on Patten's Kaleidoscope label last year. The press release makes much of the fact that this record was created while Karen was pregnant with her first child - personally I think this is rather a weird and possibly sexist thing to highlight, but it does allow you to wonder whether her physical state hindered or enabled the creative process, and if the resultant record is more warm and organic in temperament than it might otherwise have been. Gwyer has said of the process "I went into overdrive recording, just trying to make something that measured up to the significance of the start of a new life", and she has certainly created something to be proud of.

The weight of influences in this record is immense - from a childhood in Iowa and Michigan, learning cello, violin and viola as the offspring of two concert cellists, through a teenage love of house and techno music, then a move to New York at 17 and then finally to London - but it feels as though she has been able to distill the essence of these influences down to the bare minimum, the core DNA if you like. There are tracks on here such as 'Pikku Kokki' that could almost work as lullabies for her new child, while others like 'Waukon' are slightly menacing, with a dark undercurrent that would not guarantee a good night's sleep. There is, perhaps understandably, a womb-like quality to the record - if you listen to it all the way through it wraps you up in cotton wool, engulfs you in the sound of a muffled heartbeat, and comforts you in its embrace. It's not really a 'going out' record, but sink into it in a darkened room with a glass of something stron and you'll be richly rewarded.

'Needs Continuum' is released on 25th February on No Pain In Pop records - you can pre-order it here. Watch the video for 'Pikku Kokki' below.

Attitude is Everything (or how a night out can turn into something completely unexpected)

If you look through this blog you'll soon be able to tell that music is an obsession of mine. I spend all of my spare cash on it, I listen to 'more new music than is humanly possible' (as a friend put it) and on average I go to 2 or 3 gigs a month, which is where this story starts.

Last March I booked tickets for a mate and I to go to a gig. There were a few reasons for going:- it was cheap, it was in a good venue (Village Underground, near Liverpool Street station in London) and there were four acts on, 2 of which I liked and 2 of which I'd never heard of. It turned out though that there was another good reason for going - the gig had been put on by a small charity called Attitude is Everything to raise awareness of themselves and what they do (clearly this worked, at least on me, otherwise I wouldn't be sitting here writing this). The charity exists to improve access to live music for deaf and disabled people, by working with venues and promoters and getting them to sign up to a Charter of Best Practice. Venues they've worked with include places like Koko in Camden and the Academy in Brixton, and they have close links with Festival Republic (who put on the Reading / Leeds and Latitude festivals) and Glastonbury.

This started me thinking - the only things I have to consider when booking tickets is whether I can afford them and if I'll be able to get a pass out from the lovely Mrs. Cull. I take it for granted that I'll be able to get into the venue - but what if I had to find out about the venue's accessibility before I went? What if I needed an assistant to go with me - would I have to pay for them as well? What if I was deaf and wanted to understand what lyrics were being sung (at the Club Attitude gig thet had BSL interpreters to sign all of the words). Some of the best nights of my life have been spent watching live music - shouldn't this experience be available for everyone? After the gig I sent the charity a donation and asked if there was anything I could help them with...

A few months later, after a rigorous interview process, I was appointed as a Trustee of Attitude is Everything, and I've since been to a few Board meetings and joined the Steering Group for the Club Attitude nights. I've committed to being a Trustee for the next 3 years, and I'm hoping that I can be of some use to them.

With the first anniversary of my initial contact with Attitude coming up, and another Club Attitude night on the horizon, why am I telling you this? To show that there are unexpected opportunities to make a difference in this world, that you never know what's around the corner, and to encourage all of you to find something where you can best use your skills to help others.

Click here if you want to find out more about Attitude is Everything.

Video of the Day: 'Long Forgotten Boy' by Night Works

The final part in a quadrilogy of videos by Night Works and director Daniel Brereton, which brings together the storylines from the three tracks released so far - ' I Tried So Hard', 'The Eveningtime' and 'Modern European'. Who'd have thought that a man walking from Bethnal Green to Dagenham Docks via Beckton Alps could be so illuminating?

'Long Forgotten Boy' will be coming out next month on Loose Lips Records accompanied by an Erol Alkan rework.

Recommended music: 'Who's That Man?' - a tribute to Conny Plank

To start with, a confession of sorts. Until recently I'd never listened to a Krautrock record (as teenagers a friend and I once experimented with a latter-period Tangerine Dream album that we found in the bargain bin, but we were so disappointed with it that we melted the vinyl and turned it into a scuplture). All this changed a few months ago when Nigel Godrich, esteemed Radiohead producer and founder of Ultraista, was doing a show on BBC 6music and he played 'Hallo Gallo' by Neu! - I couldn't believe that 1) I hadn't heard it before and 2) how much a lot of records I liked seemed to be influenced by it. I instantly bought the entire Neu! back catalogue, and couldn't believe my luck in December when, at the ATP Festival curated by The National, I was able to watch Michael Rother play the music of Neu! and Harmonia in front of an enraptured crowd, backed by young German band Camera. Since then, with the aid of Julian Cope's excellent book 'Krautrocksampler', I have continued my exploration of the genre, which brings us to the box set that sits before me.

If, like me a few months ago, you're asking 'Who's That Man?' when reading the name Conny Plank or looking at the photograph above, then this 4 cd selection will go some way to answering your question. Collecting together just a small portion of the tracks he was involved in the first 2 cds give a real feel of his musical vision. Plank was always much more than just a producer - in the Krautrock days he often received full songwriting credits along with the bands he was producing such as Cluster. At the same time he was creating new recording processes and even new pieces of equipment to enable his vision to be realised. Whilst the tracklisting may at first appear a little odd and arbitrary (The Eurythmics next to Michael Rother?) listened to as a whole it really works, showing innovators and disciples all flowing together in the same stream. And although most of the tracks on these two discs is already widely available, there are four rare tracks to hold the interest of those who already own much of Plank's output. I don't imagine that everything on these two cds will be to everyone's tastes (the prog-jazz stylings of Ibliss are a bit much for me, and Streetmark's version of 'Eleanor Rigby' is well worth avoiding) but certainly the majority of the tracks are worth a try.

CD 3 brings things up to date with a brand new set of remixes of from the original master tapes of Plank tracks. It's difficult to comment on remixes when you're not familiar with the original versions, but taken at face value there are certainly some tracks of note here. Walls' remix of 'Infiltration' doesn't sound much like his recent album or much like a Krautrock track but is still good, but the next 2 are even better, especially the version of Michael Rother's 'Feuerland'. There's a lull with the Phew Remix, but then 'Farmer Gabriel' is vastly improved on the original by turning it into an Orb / FSOL-esque ambient dance track. The Eye Remix of Neu!'s 'Fur Immer' is pretty radical and may well be what Krautrock would sound like if it had been born in the 21st century. The Crato remix of Phew's 'Doze' is OK once it gets started, but overlong, and the final track is neither here nor there.

That brings us to CD 4, which was recorded at a live show in Mexico in 1986 by Conny Plank / Dieter Mobius and Arno Steffen under the name Trioformation. This was the last recorded performance by Plank before his untimely death in 1987, and as such it probably has more historic value than musical worth - the tracks are fairly average and there's a sense on at least some of them that they're making it up as they go along.

Overall then, an interesting if quite expensive box set - if you're thinking of buying it I suggest you get it direct from the Gronland label site here, where it's at least £10 cheaper than anywhere I've seen it listed in the UK.

Right, I'm off to explore some more Krautrock geniuses with my trusty 'Krautrocksampler' tucked under my arm - I feel some Harmonia coming on...

Michael Rother performing with Camera, ATP Festival  8/12/12

New music: 'The Summer Ghosts of Radio Deux' by David Holmes

Compiled by the legendary producer, DJ and soundtrack compiler, this mixtape is apparently inspired by an underground pirate radio show that he heard from Paris in 1972. It's clearly been a labour of love for him, so give it an hour of your time and sink into its luxuriousness. It's an audio feature film for widescreen imaginations.

You can download it for free too, it would make an excellent companion to a cross-country journey.

Video of the Day: 'Fuck A Rap Song' by Blue Daisy presents Dahlia Black

Smoking hot new side project from Camden-based produced Blue Daisy. In this Dahlia Black guise he drops some heavy beats and sparse instrumentation over which he shares verses with Hey!Zeus. Darker than Tricky smoking weed in a back-alley at midnight, this a seriously immense track. You can buy it from iTunes now.

New music: 'Nometo (Field Music Remix)' by Dutch Uncles

Given free reign to do what they wanted to this tune, Field Music's Brewis brothers have crafted this opened out, spacious version of 'Nometo'. The cello in particular stands out and fits in really well with the drum beats beneath it, and the removals of the guitars really gives the music room to breathe.

Track of the Day: 'Fingers' by Cyclopean

Beautifully timed to fit in with my current Krautrock leanings, this new track on Mute Records is a collaboration between Burnt Friedman, Jono Podmore and founding members of Can Jaki Leibezeit and Irmin Schmidt.

The four track EP will be released next week - you can pre-order the vinyl direct from Mute here. The tracklisting is:

1. Apostles
2. Fingers
3. Knuckles
4. Weeks

Recommended music: 'Ruled By Passion, Destroyed By Lust' by The Asphodells

If you're not familiar with the name, this is the new project from Andrew Weatherall, who's paired up with Timothy J Fairplay to put out this debut album on the Rotters Golf Club label.

It's a surprisingly varied album that leaves behind Weatherall's more recent rock'n'roll leanings and harks back to an 80s post-punk and electro sound. There are dub moments, bits of early OMD, New Order and all sorts of other influences on display, but they combine in a satisfying way to make a record that seems at one familiar and warm, but with enough nooks and crannies for you to explore it for many listens to come. Occasionally some of the tracks begin to sound like Weatherall remixes of other people's songs, but he's one of the best remixers in the world so even that's no bad thing.

If you want to buy the cd it's album of the week at Rough Trade here and you can also get the cd from Rotters Golf Club here, or the download for the bargain price of a fiver with 3 extra tracks from them here.

The album is accompanied by a single 'Beglammered' - you can watch the video for that below.

Choice Cuts #4 2013

DJ Cull's Choice Cuts #4 by Dj Cull on Mixcloud

The new music just keeps on coming in 2013, so here's my fourth mixtape for you, featuring 11 more tracks with a money-back guarantee that you'll love at least one of them (I'm not promising that you'll like them all though!). Just press the play button above to listen, here are the track details:

1. Nosaj Thing - Prelude (from the new album 'Home')
2. Chief - Ahh Ahh (from the album 'Neuve' free download here)
3. THEESatisfaction - IKnoulove(me) - (free download on my blog here)
4. Matthew Dear - Her Fantasy (Poolside Remix) - (free download from Ghostly Recordings)
5. Jagwar Ma - The Throw (new single out now)
6. Jonnie Common - Figurehead (Wet) (out soon, details here)
7. Portasound - Time Lost (free download, details here)
8. The Strokes - One Way Trigger (free download from The Strokes' website)
9. Drenge - Bloodsports (new single out now)
10. Heavy Hawaii - Airborne Kawasaki (free download here)
11. Föllakzoid - 9 (from the new album 'II'

New music: 'Time Lost' by Portasound

These chaps have just set out on tour in support of the excellent Wave Machines, and will be following that with another tour supporting Gallops. Their new album 'Sacrifice' will be out on the 11th February, and as a taster you can grab new single 'Time Lost' above for the price of an email address. The track manages to fuse Kraftwerk, Bloc Party and Russian folk melodies in a burst of frantic energy.

New music: 'Figurehead' by Jonnie Common

Following up his 2011 album 'Master of None', Jonnie Common is putting this single out on Red Deer Records later this month. Two quite distinct versions of the track are included on the limited cassette and download release - where 'Figurehead (Wet)' is pulsing and insistent, 'Figurehead (Dry)' is more lo-fi and sparse, but suffice to say they're both really good. Have a listen to both and see which is your favourite, you'll be able to order them from Red Deer Club soon.

New music: 'Airborne Kawasaki' by Heavy Hawaii

Jangly surf-pop guitars mix with low-sung vocals and a low-slung bass to create a vibrant song which is basically about going for a drive and getting high. This San Diego-based foursome clearly have one foot on a surfboard and the other in the indie disco.

Their new album 'Goosebumps' will be released later this year on Art Fag recordings, and should be perfect for late-night sunset highs (better move out of Essex then, eh?). In the meantime you can download this track for free and just imagine that it's not cold and wet.