Heard this for the first time on BBC Music 6, and the first thing I noticed is how well that four on the floor drumbeat and bassline go hand in hand. It makes for an immediately catchy song, and in combination with those sick guitar riffs, the instrumental hits hard. Period. Kele's lyrics still aren't the greatest though, I was expecting some better lyric writing but at least it's better than some of the stuff on Alpha Games. His vocals come out strong though!

It's definitely different from how this band used to sound, given this album was released 18 years after their previous album. William's still got great vocals at his age, no complaint there, but the instrumentals are stripped-back and lacking. I like the dreamy vibe and the poppy, new wave-esque melodies in the songs, but they're not very engaging. 'L Train' and '2005' are the best representations of the sound they explored here, they're memorable, ... read more

I knew this band had great potential after hearing their singles on SiriusXMU, and they show it well on 'Maybe Not Tonight'. This album consists of Ladyhawke-esque indie rock with hints of dance-punk, new rave, and synthpop sprinkled throughout. While it might not be the most creative, the energetic drumming, ear candy synths, and hooky guitars are in the basic recipe for post-punk revival, this album is carried by Chloe's vocals. This style of indie rock is almost always male ... read more

The version of Can You Tell on here has something special compared to the two re-recorded versions. The production, mix and the drumming are perfect. Great vocals from Wes as well, it's easy to see why he was later chosen as the lead vocalist. Shaw, the former lead vocalist heard on "Dying Is Fine" has this theatrical voice that does not sound great. (He does sound better live, so I'll give him that.) The song is also slower, lacks energy, and the lyrics are meh. The final ... read more

Very neat little EP, with a melancholic, chamber poppy and post-punky vibe. I really like the vocalist on here, he really fits the instrumentation. Dying Is Fine might be one of the best Post-Punk Revival tracks out there, definitely a must listen for anyone into that genre.

'Voyager' has a really good first half, with punchy drums, noisy, polished guitars, and great vocal work. It's like a more melodic Boom Boom Satellites! But the album doesn't hold that magic for long, as the second half kinda wanders off and does its own thing. Though, compared to their debut album, they have improved their really nice blend of alt dance, shoegaze, and electronica. They threw in a couple of beautiful post-rock compositions in here too. More consistent and ... read more

This album is where the duo started to sound like Boom Boom Satellites. As soon as you hear "Kick It Out", you can immediately tell the duo got to work and fleshed out their electronic rock sound, just a year after their previous album. Their Fatboy Slim standards have thinned out, and now they're ready to rock. I was expecting to hear a bunch of interludes and weird experimental instrumental tracks with the longer tracklist knowing their previous projects, but there's only ... read more

'X Marks Destination' is a solid indietronica effort, with catchy, synthpop melodies, energetic drums, and a gritty bass guitar. Sound familiar? They're essentially the British version of Van She, perhaps with a more prominent New Order influence. This album's top highlight is the opener, 'Trash', where they perfected the chorus that makes the build-ups and repetitions of the song justify the stretch to six minutes. Another highlight would be 'Muzzle #1', ... read more

Noticed the low rating (1.26) of this New Rave release on RYM, and wanted to see if it was really that bad. It's not terrible, it's got the standard New Rave sound, but they did nothing to make themselves standout from the crowd. It's just a really boring, generic, and forgettable project. It sounds like a Myspace demo album, with an unpolished mix and tons of half-assed attempts at making their ideas work. It's like they thought of the choruses first when creating the ... read more

'Notes On A Conditional Form' is the second and final album from the band's MFC (Music For Cars) era. Beautifully produced just like any other '1975 record, I consider it to be one of the strongest albums they've put out; if you ignore the filler. There's tons of great songs on here, the band tries lots of new things and succeeds *most* of the time, which is evident on 'People', an angry, post-hardcore influenced song. 'Frail State of Mind' is a ... read more

A mostly instrumental EP that would lay the foundations for the sound they'd later pursue. House/disco percussion, funky guitars, groovy basslines, backed by synths and keyboards; why yes, they've got the standard dance-punk formula. But this EP is a step above your typical dance-punk release, the guitar effects and synths they use give tracks an almost psychedelic atmosphere, while at the same time retaining the groovy and danceable elements of disco. They also play their music like ... read more

Very underrated and fun dance-punk effort, with fantastic drum work, hooky glam guitars, funky synths, and groovy basslines, filled to the brim with energy. There are a couple of orchestral instruments used as well, which gives the tracks a nice touch. The vocalist does a great job at vocal delivery, which is a rare sight in the genre. It's a perfect recipe for a dance-punk album that could've taken over the world, however there are a few issues that prevent it from being an album ... read more

Sleep Alone is a great song off their sophomore album, Beacon. It's got a catchy, upbeat poppy melody, with danceable drums, great vocals from Alex, and an amazing outro. I originally thought the lyrics were about Alex's "insomnia", but it turns out it's about Alex's strange dreams that he had when he smoked cannabis after tours to help him sleep.

The B-side 'Start Again" is just as great, if not better than Sleep Alone, in my opinion. It should've ... read more

I made this. The first dance-punk track of the year, and my first release under this alias. Listen to it, give it a score, maybe share your thoughts about it. happy new year! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhpSWbYxkks

Super addictive and frenetic track off their self titled; it's a perfect presentation of the group's danceable, post-punky side of their sound. The vocals are lush, layered on top of the noisy instruments, and sung in a way that make the song sound beautiful. Structurally, it's very well constructed, despite the intricacy. Definitely the best track off their self titled, beside '7/4 (Shoreline)'.

Michael Kohler is known by many for creating compositions for Cartoon Network, which were used in bumpers, advertisements, et cetera. During one of CN's rebrands, they contacted Bluetube, which is Michael Kohler's recording studio to compose some music and a "signature mnemonic" for the brand. He created catchy, immediately memorable electronic tunes, with slick production and groovy instrumentation. From the electroclash-esque 'Red River Boy', to the lighthearted ... read more

Some pretty standard of-the-time full-on psytrance, with a couple shots of acidity and progressiveness. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but the production is great, it's pretty trippy and spacey, and it's fit for the dancefloor! 'Acid Head' and 'Crazy' are great.

A great follow-up to LL, the duo put less of an emphasis on sleaze and gear toward creative danceable electropop. This record is densely packed with brilliant ideas that are executed beautifully, with a diverse selection of synths, ranging from 8-bit beeps and boops that sound straight out of an Atari 7200, to noisy, electro-house sawtooths. While it does sound overproduced in a few spots here and there, the songs are produced just right more times than not. The duo made sure there's ... read more

'Full Of Elevating Pleasures' is generally a mixed bag. They were still figuring their sound out at around this time, so don't expect this album to sound cohesive or consistent. It's a shame how strong this album started, with the first three tracks being back to back bangers, only for the duo to say "we ran out of ideas, so we're throw loops at the wall and see what sticks" the more you progress through the tracklist. The album does pickup speed with ... read more

Another find at the thrift store, this debut from The Delilahs has some fun indie jangle pop melodies along with some passable pop rock songs. The drums and the guitar playing are very solid, but the vocals can get draining sometimes. Songs like 'Beats The Hell Out Of Me', 'Angel', and 'Loved You So Bad' are great songs, it's a shame that the middle and the end didn't hold my attention for very long. "Delilah" is one of the most uninteresting ... read more