Feeding Fingers – Your Candied Laughter Crawls

Dark Wave, Indie Rock, Post Punk
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I’ve often felt that Feeding Fingers’ music has had a tendency toward quiet desperation, and, at times, a sense of holding itself back from its own full potential. But “Your Candied Laughter Crawls”, the debut single from their upcoming fifth album, is almost triumphant, musically. There is an entire metamorphosis occurring in the microcosm of this particular song, one that opens itself up to the listener like a blooming flower as it progresses from its sleepy opening notes to their book-end, with its entire story laid out in between.

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Drab Majesty – The Foyer

Dark Wave, Indie Rock
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This is a song that changes sonic tactics throughout, and it works really well. Echoing the confusion and frustration of its narration, it vacillates between peace and discord. It builds its story around the lyrics, but challenges itself to tell that story with its audial composition. It warms from sparsity into intricacy, then plays with an almost noodling sound – evoking moments in waiting rooms; anticipatory, anxious.

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Ballerina Black – Blue-ish Grey

Indie Rock
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Lush arrangement and poetic, but not horribly cumbersome, lyrics make this a song for movement – this is a track to drive to, to walk to, to dance to – but it is also a song for mental movement. It is a track to think to, as well. I actually found myself reminded of bands like The Railway Children; there is an element of that sumptuous mid-eighties New Wave sound represented here – a bit darker, but quite handsomely dressed in the same sort of brilliant guitar melodies and steady, up-tempo undercurrents.

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Moon Tapes – A Little Bit Of Paris

Indie Pop, Indie Rock
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There is indeed a warm staccato style of bass and guitar sound here which is highly reminiscent of the Smiths at their peak – Moon Tapes has mastered this particular brand of textured aural and emotional complexity, but give it their own unique spin. There isn’t quite Morrissey’s lyrical dexterity, but the plaintive angst vocalist Joep Meyer brings to the song is spot-on. Essentially, this is the Smiths without the hubris.

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Editors – Marching Orders (with lyrics)

Indie Rock
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Today the UK indie rock band Editors delivered their second new single this year. Continuing where they left off with No Harm, Marching Orders is a powerful balled that will hopefully be filling large stadiums in a town near you soon. I say “large stadiums” because I feel that it is the progression that this band is taking. In my mind, the band is hitting their stride with U2’s Joshua Tree era of songs.

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You Are Number Six – Lensflares

Indie Rock, Post Punk
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Wow…there is just a ton going on here…within the opening seconds you’ve got a Post-Punk bassline, then wait…some jangle that could signal some lighter Indiepop ala Bleachers is on the way, followed by ‘Twinkles’ found in many Raveonettes tracks and then finally some Synth reminescent of Eurythmics? What the hell direction are we going? Mind you we are only 20 seconds in. Finally we get some deep baritone vocals and all of these disparate sounds start to come together rather nicely.

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City Calm Down – Rabbit Run

Indie Rock, Post Punk
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Another in a line of great new tracks from future John Hughes’ soundtracks…City Calm Down’s Rabbit Run could have easily highlighted the angst of Watts, pining for her buddy Keith while he romanced the snobby Amanda Jones. This is a jangly Post-Punk track that bridges the gap between the sound of 80’s throwbacks like Furniture, Flesh For Lulu and The Psychedelic Furs with modern purveyors like Mode Moderne, DIIV and Beach Fossils.

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In Letter Form – Reflecting The Rain

Indie Rock, Post Punk
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Set the wayback machine to the UK in the mid-’80s, and get ready to sway to an excellent dark melodic pop song reminiscent of Modern English, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Joy Division (plus some of the newer purveyors of this sound like the Graveyard Club). The melancholy of Eric Miranda’s deep vocals and his lyrics about tears reflecting the rain are offset by the intricately layered upbeat synth-tinged, bass-driven alt pop-rock.

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