Everything Everything: This year's Mercury Prize Winners?

What do you think? Will Everything Everything take home this year's Mercury Prize?

I think they've got a solid chance.

Hard-Fi are back with Killer Sounds

Hard-Fi were one of the British bands that hit me really hard, in a good way, in around 2005. Along with Bloc Party, Maxïmo Park, Editors, The Bravery, and Kaiser Chiefs, among others I'm probably forgetting. They have a new album coming out on August 22. It's called Killer Sounds and they have the second video out.

I featured the first tune, "Good For Nothing", a while back. The second single, "Fire In The House", doesn't have the so much of the pronounced guitars of their previous albums, but it does have a strong chorus, a groovy bass line, and some nice and soulful backup vocals.



They also have another full song and samples of the rest on their audio player. Check it out. Sounds like the band is evolving and I like what they're coming up with.

Hard-Fi - Killer Sounds Sampler by Hard Fi

New video from The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

I've put up one or two posts about The Pains of Being Pure at Heart before. Well they recently released another video from their album Belong. This one is for the song "The Body". Lovely tune. It reminds me of some sounds of the 80s without being retro or derivative.

Bloc Party's Debut on Jools

I really love Bloc Party's début release. I have been a little frustrated that nothing they released after that lived up to the song writing and frenetic energy of that album, but I guess bands progress and not all their fans can come along for the full ride.

Here's Bloc Party in their TV début, on Later with Jools Holland. They perform "Helicopter", an awesome song about a very scary politician.

The Decemberists cover Sugar

The other day I posted Bob Mould covering his old band Sugar on the avclub. Well, now the Decemberists have come in and done a cool cover themselves. I think they need more acoustic guitars.


The Decemberists cover Sugar