The first time we did one of these hook-ups with SoundCloud, it was in early August when we posted a 30-song playlist of the tracks of the year so far by artists who had either appeared in New Band Of The Day since January or who had previously been featured in the column and had a single or album out in 2010.
Now, in what will hopefully become a monthly roundup, we present the second playlist, and it's a 20-track affair comprising new artists of the last four weeks, or releases this month by erstwhile New Bands Of The Day. As per the spirit of NBOTD, it's an eclectic old mix. It starts with Can't Hold Back, uncannily lovely sweet soul with a hip-hop inflection by a character called Matt Henshaw who you'll doubtlessly be hearing more of soon. Trophy Queen by Guards featuring Caroline Polachek of Cults is haunting 60s pop revisited in a Summer Camp/Tennis/Best Coast vein. Love You More by The Pierces is not the Buzzcocks song but a torrid Fleetwood Mac-go-country melodrama by the titular Alabama sisters. Caramellas by Aeroplane is one of the saner moments from unarguably the weirdest dance album of the late summer. Hard to describe All Around And Away We Go by Twin Sister, but think Blondie's Heart Of Glass performed by Remain In Light-era Talking Heads.
Of the "older" new bands, Rose Elinor Dougall makes a reappearance because of her album Without Why, which came out at the end of August to much acclaim. On the back of triumphant festival performances, notably at Reading/Leeds, we thought we'd remind ourselves and you of why we liked Frankie & The Heartstrings. For the ultimate in Basque techno based on the manuscript for an opera written by a demented old geezer, look no further than Crystal Fighters, whose debut album is imminent. Lissie is another former New Band girl whose debut album got rave reviews this month. And finally there's the Heartbreaks, the Morecambe band finally getting some recognition for their indie pop that joins the dots between Motown and miserablism.
Back to August's bona fide new new bands, Tamaryn take the Cocteaus-isms of Rose Elinor further into the realms of hazy gorgeousness. Teengirl Fantasy, an electronic duo on the Big Pink's Merok label, do the drag thing of playing with pop past, although instead of 90s techno it's Chicago house being recontextualised, the raw gruff passion of the sampled original vocal pitch-shifted and phased to give it new meaning. Elsewhere, Mighty Mighty are a UK duo offering a convincing version of US disco.
We won't go on. Suffice it to say that of the rest, there's dubstep (Pariah), indie-folk (Melodica Melody & Me), warped doo-wop (Idiot Glee), an American take on Britgirl pop (Alex Winston), and a Clash/U2 hybrid (Mona) who probably elicited a better response than anyone else in recent memory when we did them, emails and phone calls-wise. They're going to be huge. Would we lie to you?
NBOTD playlist: September 2010
Matt Henshaw – Can't Hold Back
Guards – Trophy Queen
The Pierces – Love You More
Aeroplane – Caramellas
Twin Sister – All Around And Away We Go
Rose Elinor Dougall – May Holiday
Tamaryn – Love Fade
Teengirl Fantasy – Cheaters
Frankie & The Heartstrings – Ungrateful
Mighty Mouse – Junglefish
The Heartbreaks – I Didn't Think It Would Hurt To Think Of You
Pariah – Prism
Melodica Melody & Me – Plunge
Idiot Glee – All Packed Up
Alex Winston – Choice Notes
Crystal Fighters – Follow
Lissie – Little Lovin'
Mona – Listen To Your Love
