Count Your Calories

Part of the current crop of exciting bands to emerge from Birmingham and its surrounding hamlets, Calories join the likes of Johnny Foreigner and Sunset Cinema Club as midland noise pop trailblazers. In fact, it's quite likely that Calories are a pretty big influence on their fellow Birmingham artists, having been members of the not-popular-enough Distophia.

While Distophia sadly broke up without delivering their opus 'Beat Dyslexia' (it later appeared online), Calories have had a less problematic journey in putting out their debut album, 'Adventuring'. I guess part of that reason is their record label, Smalltown America, best known for their PSB compilations and being the longterm home for Jetplane Landing. And for being generally awesome.

Calories - Forest of vargr from Steven Ingram on Vimeo.

Back to Calories. They've just put a new video on the interweb for album closer 'Forests Of Varg'. I'm not really sure why, it doesn't appear to be a single but hey, that's cool. More fun for us. Calories are incisive and arresting, and with 'Adventuring' available to stream on the Smalltown America website, you'd be a fool not to sample the goods. At just over twenty minutes long, its anxious frenzy is sedated all too soon. In case you're too impatient for that, download 'A Bear A Bison' below.

CALORIES - A BEAR A BISON

Buy 'Adventuring' for £8 at Smalltown America. Would also recommend procuring 'Beat Dyslexia' from your internet fairy godmother, if only for the amazing anthems 'Robert Redford' and 'Evil Baroness', the former of which even appeared on an old Keep Hope Inside podcast.

MySpace

Watching The Burglars

They're deranged. They're exciting. They're heavily influenced by The Fall and Pixes. They are The Victorian English Gentlemens Club. No apostrophe necessary.

This Is Fake DIY have given us another glimpse of the new album, 'Love On An Oil Rig', following lead off single 'Parrot'. The new track 'Watching The Burglars' captures the same kind of electrifying fervour that the band presented with early singles 'My Son Spells Backwards' and 'Ban The Gin'. Rumbling basslines, dissonant guitars, eccentric lyrics and catchy hooks. Is this still "art rock"? Whatever it is, it's brilliant. Listen below.

The Victorian English Gentlemens Club - Watching The Burglars by thisisfakediy

'Watching The Burglars' is out on August 10th on This Is Fake DIY followed by the 'Love On An Oil Rig' album, on the same label on September 7th. Preorder from HMV. Download 'Parrot' for nowt here.

Website | MySpace

The king is dead, long live the king

This blog is on its way out, head to Faded Glamour to see what I'm upto now. This is the new RSS feed, if you fancy continuing to subscribe. I sincerely hope you do. Thanks for staying with me for over three years at Keep Hope Inside, please join me over at Faded Glamour.

Saam x

Mercury Music Prize 2009

For my first trick as Faded Glamour, I will unsuccessfully predict nominees for this year's Mercury Music Prize. In fact, I'll actually offer the artists that I would nominate. As with Another Form Of Relief, funfunfun and many other esteemed blogs, I was asked by BBC Music to put forward my thoughts on this year's potential nominees.

The albums I'll be rewarding are generally consistent, vibrant and inventive. Often, they are all three. The Mercury Music Prize appears to operate in a similar fashion, although I'm not sure where M People fit into their criteria exactly. Consequently, I would hardly be surprised to discover that none of the artists that I am suggesting are not in the final shortlist of nominees. With that said, let's get on.


Fight Like Apes - Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion
They may have lost out to Jape in the Choice Music Prize, the Irish version of the Mercury Music Prize but that's not going to stop me from nominating Fight Like Apes' exhilirating debut record. A dynamic expression of synth-punkery.

Dan Black - Un
Released just last week, it is unlikely that Dan Black's debut solo effort will be recognised by the Mercury judges. For me however, 'Un' melds electro, hip hop and pop effortlessly producing a gloriously forward-thinking album. Less all night disco party and more serene sunset beach picnic.

Thomas Tantrum - Thomas Tantrum
Attractive frontwoman? Check. Spiky infectious pop tunes? Check. Thousands of album sales? Alas, not so. Thomas Tantrum have the ingredients for massive success and a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize could push them towards bigger things. 'Thomas Tantrum' may be whimsical but it is also full of thrilling youthful vitality.

Grammatics - Grammatics
The fact that Grammatics are being talked about as genuine contenders for this year's Mercury Music Prize is both pleasing and surprising. While I would not disagee that Grammatics' eponymous debut album is top heavy, it is also an epic operatic pop odyssey that deserves its praise.


Here's hoping at least one of the artists I have suggested will make the list. Then again, wouldn't it be amazing if one of these actually won it? I wouldn't put a bet on it though. Well, until the nominations are announced tomorrow (July 21st) anyway.

New Beginnings

I started a music blog just before beginning university. Three years later, I've finished uni and have decided to start another music blog. With any luck, Faded Glamour will be bigger and better than Keep Hope Inside. Clubnights, more writers and even possibly putting out some 7" singles are in the grand plan.

It's time for a fresh slate but things won't be a whole lot different than before. We'll be showcasing the best new music regardless of genre, country and language. More established yet underrated bands are very much in as well. Music knows no boundaries.

Faded Glamour will feature the best bands you've never heard. Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.

Saam FG x