Circa Waves | Soundcloud

Mark my words: Liverpool garage rock quartet Circa Waves are going to make some pretty big waves on the indie scene, and pretty soon. Formed in 2012, they have already been signed to Virgin records, touring with the likes of Interpol, and performing at major festivals in the UK, before even dropping their debut album. With pulsing rhythms reminiscent of the Vaccines and punkish lure akin to the Libertines, it’s no wonder they have already garnered attention from the likes of NME and Zane Lowe. Their music is undeniably addictive, marked with a youthful charm and a sense of urgency. Listen to their music below and be sure to be on the look out for their debut.

Arcade Fire | Buy Reflektor October 29

“Afterlife,” Arcade Fire’s most recent preview track from their forthcoming album Reflektor, is dancey and depressing and haunting and catchy all in the same earful. It’s a whirling blender of emotion, morbidity and youthful hope in a way ever so characteristic of Win Butler and company. It seeks for the deeper meaning of life and fumbles desperately for a greater significance like a depressed teenager making sense of his suburban surroundings. While this might be true of almost all of their music up to this point, there is something almost foreign about “Afterlife”-otherworldly even.

The Canadian seven-piece is set to release Reflektor in a week and though they’ve provided their fan base with a slew of previews on television talkshows and the like, “Afterlife” and the title track are the only studio recorded songs to have been officially released thus far; sporting similar sentiments. They’re the kind of songs that make perfect sense if you don’t pay attention to the lyrics (which often contradict the bouncy and energetic melodies). Speaking of lyrics: lyrical master and recording genius James Murphy–the brain behind LCD Soundsystem–is confirmed to have produced three or more songs off the album. With so many great musical minds in collaboration, it’s almost as though Reflektor has no choice but to be a top contender for album of the year. Check the single “Reflektor” after the jump.

(more…)

Cults | Buy Static

There are few bands as aptly named as Cults. With a completely unique sound–which to be frank, only they could ever pull off–the Manhattan duo and their 2011 self-titled debut took the indie scene by storm. Their sound is difficult to define, and their influence not easy to pinpoint. There’s a frosty sweetness to the girl-pop of bygone days, mixed with a haunting distortion, akin to the washed out static of an old television set. Their music has a way of transporting you to a place vaguely familiar, yet unrecognizable. Two years since the release of their fuzzy, yet pleasantly optimistic debut, the two-piece is back, this time with a noteworthy edge of bitterness.

The second album, while well-polished and beautifully composed seems slightly jaded and almost sexually frustrated, with lyrics such as “I wonder how you sleep at night” and “I can hardly make you mine.” The idealized romance might be gone in their sophomore album but they have certainly maintained their Cultsy charm. The album is pulsing and charged and electric and lo-fi and…well, static. While the album is undeniably full of post-breakup regret, it is also undeniably wonderful.

Cults – I Can Hardly Make You Mine
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/2013/CULTS/02%20I%20Can%20Hardly%20Make%20You%20Mine.mp3]

Cults – So Far
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/2013/CULTS/06%20So%20Far.mp3]

Cults – Keep Your Head Up
[audio:https://controlaltdelight.com/2013/CULTS/07%20Keep%20Your%20Head%20Up.mp3]

Vance Joy

Be prepared to hear the name “Vance Joy” over and over and over again in 2014. Melbourne’s alternative one-man show has a way with gentle acoustics, with the ability to make a simple melody powerful. He just released his debut EP “God You Loves You When You’re Dancing” and it’s every bit delightful all the way through. I’ve had “Riptide” on constant repeat since I first heard it. Be on the lookout for him next year-I have a feeling he’s going to explode all over the festival scene.

Check out more of his music after the jump.

(more…)

Arcade Fire

Canadian indie wonders Arcade Fire released their much anticipated single, Reflektor, recently along with two videos. One video was a more typical, YouTube type featuring band members in black and white, rocking massive paper mache masks. The second, more attention-grabbing video is internet based, using webcam technology to produce an interactive experience in which the viewer becomes the “reflektor.” The song itself is irresistible in a quintessentially Arcade Fire sort of way; they really don’t care what you think about them and that’s what has made them so popular. It’s danceable in the same way that “Sprawl ii” (my personal favorite from The Suburbs) is and integrates all of their best qualities. Check it out after the jump. I’ll have this one on repeat for a while.

Check out the interactive video here.

(more…)

A Boy and His Kite

One-man wonder Dave Wilton churns out lovely, delicate tracks under the moniker A Boy and His Kite. Wilton records his music in an old church called St. Ida’s in Colorado and there’s something about that that’s really captured in his music. It’s solitary and reflective, reverent yet honest in a way that makes you think that music really is his sanctuary. His self-titled debut was released late last year and isn’t something you want to miss out on. It’s lyrically powerful and equally beautiful instrumentally. He makes musical poetry. Check out some of his tunes after the jump.

For fans of: The Milk Carton Kids, Radical Face

(more…)

Hey Marseilles

Up and coming on the folk-pop frontier, Seattle six-piece Hey Marseilles will be a difficult outfit to ignore pretty soon. Lines We Trace, the followup to their debut album, To Travel & Trunks, was released earlier this year and it’s nothing short of wonderful. They’ve got an irresistibly crisp sound, reminiscent of the best of The Decemberists, with a hint of The Head and the Heart. Pick up their album on iTunes and check out some of their songs + videos after the jump.

(more…)