Only One Word Comes To Mind

And that word (OK, three actually) is MON THE BIFFY!

Next week sees new albums from two of my very favouritest bands - Jetplane Landing and Biffy Clyro. Seeing as I've already waffled about JL's Backlash Cop I thought it's high time I give some space over to those three very hairy lads from Glasgow. Puzzle is Biffy's 4th album, and it's official: Biffy have gone epic. They will surely hit the big time with this one. Having only heard the Jimmy Eat World-type singles Saturday Superhouse and Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies so far it seems premature for me to comment. I'm currently trying to recruit Stu as ASTPTT's resident reviewer-type-bod, so hopefully we'll have some proper journalism on here as of next week. All I shall say now is that as much as the slightly disturbing Viking-esque Coheed & Cambria style background vocals on Living Is A Problem... remind me of something out of the Harry Potter films, this is a great leap forward for Biffy.

Puzzle tracklisting

1. Living is a problem because everything dies

2. Saturday superhouse

3. Who's got a match

4. As dust dances / Two fifteenths

5. Whole child ago

6. Coversation is

7. Now I'm Everyone

8. Semi mental / Four fifteenths

9. Love has a diameter

10. Get fucked stud

11. Folding stars

12. Nine fifteenths

13. Machines

::mp3:: Living is a problem because everything dies - Biffy Clyro

BC official website - hear previews of tracks from Puzzle and see the fab TV advert for said LP.

Buy Puzzle on Amazon

A Big Myth Take

Phew. After a week full of finishing essays, exams and being turned down for jobs there's just enough time to post a few of my musical discoveries for this week.

First up, Cats on Fire are good on 3 counts: 1. They have a very silly name, 2. They are from Finland (Scandinavia is good), 3. The lead singer sounds just like Morrissey in this song! Taken from their debut album The Province Complains it's a lovely little ditty which I have been boogying round the lounge to when I'm supposed to be doing my referencing or some such twaddle. I do believe they are playing some dates here in the UK soon, check them out on the official website. Also, info here on the album's distribution.

::mp3:: Born Again Christian

Next I shall again demonstrate my unerring ability to catch onto bands very late. !!! (Chk Chk Chk) have just released their Myth Takes album, which is probably their 5th or 6th but at least I've found them now. The title track is indeed ace and the official website has some rather intruiging artwork.

::mp3:: Myth Takes

::buy:: Myth Takes (album)

I've also been trying to get my head around the new Bjork album, Volta. As you would expect from her it's very very odd, but in a good way. I think. Put it this way, it's growing on me.

An Album Of The Year?

It's horribly grey outside, so what better to brighten the day than discovering news of an up-coming album from Tim Kasher's side-project-gone-doolally The Good Life. According to Pitchfork the fourth album Help Wanted Nights is pencilled in for a September release. Tim has apparently upped sticks and moved to LA with a screenplay, also entitled Help Wanted Nights. As if the man doesn't have enough to do already. No word yet on what the album will sound like, although Kasher says the play, about a guy's car breaking down in a strange town and spending a week in a local bar (the guy not the car), helped inspire the music. At least the poor guy hasn't gone through another sticky breakup, although it has to be said, Black Out and Album Of The Year are some of the most up-beat songs about love gone sour I have ever heard.

On that note...

::mp3:: Early Out The Gate

::mp3:: I Am An Island

::mp3:: Always A Bridesmaid


Buy some Good Life

More mp3s can be found on the Saddle Creek website.

Read more about Tim skipping town on Pitchfork.

Befriend The Good Life on myspace.

I wonder if Tim will grow that lovely beard back again? Here's hoping... ::sigh::

Playlist # 3: Feeling Gloomy

"I'm Falling down, now the world is upside down"

Dashboard - Modest Mouse
Babies - Pulp
First of the gang - Morrissey
Power out - Arcade Fire
Blue Monday - New Order
The blues are still blue - Belle & Sebastian
Town called malice - The Jam
Disco 2000 - Pulp
Subterranean homesick blues - Bob Dylan
Float on - Modest Mouse
Sit down - James
Girls and boys - Blur
Do you remember the first time? - Pulp
There there - Radiohead
Hero - Bonnie Tyler
Running up that hill - Kate Bush
Smells like teen spirit - Nirvana
Debaser - Pixies
First cut is the deepest - Cat Stevens
Like a rolling stone - Bob Dylan
Yesterday - The Beatles
Nightswimming - REM

Feeling Gloomy night at the Academy Bar, Islington. Remember kids, drinking lots of beer and drunkenly falling off kerbs is not a good idea.