Stars and Topsoil , Cocteau Twins’ collection of the best of their 4AD years, is belatedly issued on vinyl this week. The first pressing is on heavy-weight, white vinyl. Over a career at 4AD that spanned six albums and seven EPs, Cocteau Twins retained an intriguing uniqueness of style that defied comparison.  Elizabeth Fraser (vocals), Robin Guthrie (guitars) and Simon Raymonde (bass guitar) were always fiercely protective of their privacy, preferring to let the music speak for itself; it spoke volumes and continues to do so. Following their ascent from alternative novices to universally acclaimed artists, Stars and Topsoil is a ...

This is a mature sounding EP from Chapterhouse considering this was one of their first releases. The lead track Something More was not produced by The Cocteau Twins' Robin Guthrie he did the softer version on Whirlpool. This is the heavy original that is as good as anything by Ride. Rumbling breakbeat drumming, dub bass line, with both droning and jangly guitars with angelic vocals on top of everything Satin Safe, six minutes of noise that would be associated with Loop rather than Chapterhouse, saturated in feedback. Rain is a Beatles cover, if you think of the fab four on ...

Before the Cocteau Twins became the band you, I, and anyone with any musical taste whatsoever1 adores with their still-beating bloodthumping heart, there was a darker, stranger version. Before all the delicate chirruping, the apparently nonsense lyrics2, those chiming, echo-drenched arpeggios, that whole sonic cathedrals of sound3 thing. Before Blue Bell Knoll, Treasure, Heaven Or [...]

Die Shoegaze-Newcomer Trash Tracys">Trailer Trash Tracys haben ein neues Musikvideo veröffentlicht. Der zugehörige Song "Engelhardt's Arizona" stammt aus ihrem Debütalbum " Ester ", welches am 13. Januar via Domino in die hiesigen Plattenregale wanderte. Wer bisweilen noch nicht in den physischen Genuss der Platte gekommen ist, kann sich noch immer »hier den Komplettstream zu Gemüte führen. Einmal mehr präsentiert das britische Quartett seine Vorliebe für surreale Bildkunst, denn wie zuletzt "You Wish You Were Red" brilliert das neue Werk durch das Zusammenspiel schillernder Farben in düsterem, nahezu morbidem Ambiente. Überzeugt euch selbst: Trash Tracys">Trailer Trash Tracys – "Engelhardt's Arizona ...

Two of Scotland’s proudest moments lay back to back. After Clash had battled through the globally renowned and rebranded bluster of ‘Hurricane Bawbag’ to interview Errors, we found the nation on a roll. Steev Livingstone, one third of Glasgow melodic noise band Errors regales his band peer Simon Ward with a massive contemporary advance in science. “I actually watched a programme the other day where they were polishing shites!” he delights. “You know that Myth Busters programme? They were trying to bust the myth that you couldn’t polish a shite! I think they busted it.” Underachievers everywhere may ...

The 'Artist Picks' feature is a staple part of The 405 schedule - with artists big and small all answering the same questions. Philco Fiction answered a set of completely different questions for their piece, and we love that. Maybe this will kick start a new era for 'Artist Picks? - who knows. What we do know is that the band are playing the Ja Ja Ja night at the Lexington tonight, and we strongly suggest you attend. We are: A ginger, a giant, and a star. We live: in and around Oslo. We make: Pop-tunes, written, arranged, and produced in our ...

A bittersweet yet upbeat opening track unfurls like an exotic Asian flower, or the soundtrack to a forgotten noirish Manga. Things continue in this ‘Bowie-does-Bladerunner’ vein for the Glasgow quartet before the thrilling introduction of vocals on the distorted ‘Magna Encarta’, all woozy melody over taut electronics and even tighter drumming. These new vocals function like a textural instrument, obscure and indecipherable. This, along with increasingly traditional song structures humanises the band in an entirely new way. They’re still guitar led and retain a rock backbone but have transcended this with moments of glinting beauty. ‘Blank Media’ is a ...

Darkness-looming Italian gothic metal belters Lacuna Coil are back for their sixth go-round, Dark Adrenaline . Dropping January 24 via their longtime home Century Media, the album matches their timeless, ever-bombastic, black-clad swoon with some of their stickiest, sweetest, most popcentric hooks to date. Given proper attention, this beast of a record could feed the appetites of fans of everything from Celtic Frost and Ghost to the more shadow-lurking fans of Imperial Teen, Cocteau Twins or, hell, even Pink. Plus, there's an industrial-tinged cover of R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion," which is like a ball waiting for some ...

Get your tin hats on because the blogosphere is about to go nuclear over Porcelain Raft , the solo recording project of Mauro Remiddi, once of cosmopolitan multi-continental psych pop outfit Sunny Day Sets Fire. On debut album Strange Weekend Mauro sculpts delicate, dreamy soundscapes out of the finest clay like a refugee from a 4AD seminar with a full compliment of the de-rigeur glitchy beats designed to dampen a blogger's nether regions. Album opener, the perfectly named 'Drifting In and Out', does exactly what it says on the tin, drifting in and out like a muscular Cocteau Twins. It ...

Listen to 36 new tracks from around the world, as chosen by the Guardian and other bloggers in the Music Alliance Pact Click the play button icon to listen to individual songs, right-click on the song title to download an mp3, or grab a .zip file of the whole 36-track compilation here . ENGLAND : The Guardian Music Blog Money - Who's Going To Love You Now A four-piece based in Manchester, Money are part of that city's tradition of earnest young men, "the weight on their shoulder", as Ian Curtis once sang. They quote Austrian poet Rilke , while their Facebook ...

Requested by Vernie • Compiled by rainbowdash 01. CocoRosie - “Fairy Paradise” (Grey Oceans) 02. Bat for Lashes - “Two Planets” (Two Suns) 03. Future Islands - “Tin Man” (In Evening Air) 04. Cocteau Twins - “Ivo” (Treasure) 05. My Brightest Diamond - “We Were Sparkling” (Bring Me The Workhorse) 06. Timber Timbre - “Under Your Spell” (Medicinals) 07. Redhead">Blonde Redhead - “Not Getting There” (Penny Sparkle) 08. Mountain Man - “Sewee Sewee” (Made the Harbor) 09. Beach House - “Gila” (Devotion) 10. Holly Miranda - “Forest Green Oh Forest Green” (The Magician’s Private Library)

It’s the year that the Mayans earmarked for the apocalypse. Whichever your take on this prophecy, this year has already brought us ‘bracing’ hurricane winds and the release of a film about Margaret Thatcher. If it’s the end of the world as we know it, then it’s probably best that we dedicate this one to a fantastic soundtrack. Here at Clash, we’ve written up our pick of the best new Scottish acts for you. Hold tight. The La Fontaines Hang onto your hats, it’s a rap collective from Motherwell. Welcome to the wonderful world of ...

RSL ARTIST SPOTLIGHT Someone You Should Know So here's what you need to kn ow: Kate Tucker is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Akron, Ohio. She plays rich, emotive alt-country and americana influenced rock. Her sonic influences reflect shades of Neko Case , Cat Power , Ryan Adams , Wilco , Junkies">Cowboy Junkies and Mazzy Star with occasional forays into a land inhabited by the Cocteau Twins , Redhead">Blonde Redhead and David Lynch . We think if you appreciate Neko Case, you're just going to love Kate Tucker. Growing up in a family of truck drivers, Kate became acquainted with the ...

Most of you have probably noticed that Grimes signed with 4AD two days ago. She said in detail via twitter ”just want 2 say i am so honoured to be releasing my next album with 4AD - a record label I have admired since I was 13 and first heard the cocteau twins and realized girls can make music, and goth [...]

As previously reported, Grimes rung in the New Year by signing to 4AD. She gushed via a multi-entry tweet about the record label she’s “admired since I was 13 and first heard the cocteau twins … read more »