Scratch any literate songwriter – Win Butler, David Bowie, PJ Harvey – and beneath the surface you will find a debt to TS Eliot The New Yorker critic Louis Menand, reflecting on TS Eliot's transition from radical modernist to arch-conservative, wrote in a review of the poet's letters: "He tried to shut the door on modern life. It was too late of course. He was the author of Prufrock and The Waste Land. He was already inside." Eliot would not have loved pop music but pop music loves Eliot. Ninety years after the publication of The Waste Land , he remains ...

Many fans will know it has been a patient wait for Saint Saviour 's (a.k.a. Becky Jones) debut album. After already being treated to the first single 'I Call This Home', the album Union follows June 25th. In the lead up for the release Saint Saviour has compiled an exclusive Spotify playlist for 405. Choosing her favourite songs at moment. Enjoy. 1. New France – Orbital – I just love what they have done with Zola Jesus’ vocal. I love Lady Leshurr on ‘Wonky’ too – she’s a feisty lady. The whole album is amazing, reminds me of being in ...

A collection of 4AD  music and artwork is being auctioned on eBay  to raise money for  Natasha Laflin , a British artist and illustrator who suffered a near fatal bain aneurysm in 2008. Funds will go towards helping Laflin move from a care-home back in with her family. Read more about her life here . The auction items include a Grimes cassette single, a test-pressing of the reissue of Dead Can Dance's 1988 record  The Serpent's Egg , a 2009 Japanese label sampler CD featuring selections curated by various 4AD artists, a vinyl compilation of 4AD Session performances, and a book ...

Esta semana sale a la venta publicado por Slumberland Records True , el segundo álbum del trío de Brooklyn Violens . El grupo mantiene su tono elegante aunque ligeramente oscurecido en la línea de clásicos de los ochenta como Cocteau Twins o The Chameleons. Descarga Totally True , el primer sencillo.

Meddlesome, Meddlesome, Meddlesome Bells - Worried Land Gotta be honest, I got no idea what to make of this album. Try and imagine Peter, Paul and Mary ingesting handfulls of downers, freaking out on Sabbath and being hired by some gothic Romanian church to sing funeral dirges.  Or Cocteau Twins after missing out on one too many electroshock sessions.  Mumford and Sons at the cemetery freaked out on really bad acid.  I've seen them described as Apocalyptic Folk Metal, and I guess that works. That's about the best I can do.  Male/female vocal interplay, near-folkish, droning doom with ...

"I've never been super into the idea of doing a Track By Track for 'We'll Be The Moon'" admits Fixers singer Jack Goldstein. "I like the nature of letting the music do all the talking, it just feels right for this particular record. I see the value in explaining songs, notions and ideas but WBTM is, for me, quite a realised effort; perhaps a direct contrast to forthcoming releases, its hard to call at this stage. That said, I wanted to share the notes, notions and concepts we came up with for the album before we recorded it ...

With the London indie scene gradually moving eastwards toward Stoke Newington, Old Street and Whoreditch, the idea of a crawl around Camden is starting to feel a little antiquated. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the festival’s days are numbered, granted attendance seems a little down on previous years and the line-up didn’t have any killer “I HAVE to go and see that” acts playing; a Florence, a Mobile Disco, a SBTRK even. Actress were this year’s hot ticket but with set times being switched and many gigs not on at the time advertised it became harder ...

Five readers tell us why they love the band, and our Twitter followers recommend the best tracks for newcomers Former Cocteau Twins singer Elizabeth Fraser announced this week she is to play two dates at the Royal Festival Hall as part of Antony Hegarty's Meltdown festival – her first live appearances in six years. To celebrate the news, we turn this week's readers' panel over to a celebration of Cocteau Twins. Five readers explain the appeal of the band, and below, @guardianmusic followers select the best Cocteau Twins tracks for people who are unfamiliar with their music. Tom René ...

Visit Indie Shuffle to download. Sounds like: Cocteau Twins, Diplo, Hudson Mohawke Song: Darq E Freaker Ft. Danny Brown - Blueberry (Star Slinger remix) [download here ] What's so good? This one is bit out there. Darq E Freaker is a grime/dubstep artist out of the UK, and he recently linked with wunderkid Danny Brown for “Blueberry (Coke & Pills),” a jagged anthem for the two items in parenthesis. By now it’s no strange occurrence to see Danny talking about his pogo-like penis over some wonky bass notes; that kind of cross-genre appeal is part of what has made him a breakout. This remix however, by Manchester’s Star Slinger, makes the original sound like boom-bap. It’s probably telling of my lack of club patronage, but I was a ...

As I’ve said a couple of times before, I was/am a violinist. I’m using past and present tense because I’m not in an orchestra at the moment but I can still pick up my instrument and carry a tune. Without the 8 or so years of orchestra classes/private lessons my music taste would be dramatically different. For one, I would never have met the people who transformed my music taste because we were all in orchestra together. Secondly, I would never have been able to cultivate an appreciation for the complexity and wonder of classical ...

As Elizabeth Fraser announces she's joining the Meltdown lineup, we'd like to hear your thoughts on her former band Elizabeth Fraser, singer in much-loved 4AD band Cocteau Twins, this week announced she is to play two dates at the Royal Festival Hall as part of this year's Antony Hegarty-curated Meltdown festival – her first live appearances since a 2006 tour with Massive Attack. To celebrate the news, for this week's readers' panel we'd like to hear your thoughts on Cocteau Twins. Your favourite song, favourite album, your recollections of seeing them live, your thoughts on their ...

Welcome to the 23rd edition of New Music by Region . Every fortnight we aim to present the best new music in 7 major cities and regions from across the UK (and Ireland). With the help of regional correspondents, we present our shortlist of new music in Birmingham, Cardiff, Dublin, Glasgow, London and Oxford. New Music by Region #22 can be found here ! Name : The Carpels – ‘Khan (Demo)’ For Fans Of : Editors and Foals Website : Official site Correspondent : Lyle Bignon The five-piece band, now with a new member on board, follow up on the good reception for early 2012 single Bears ...

Earlier this evening I was sat at the computer, keeping half an eye on Gregg Araki's Kaboom playing on FilmFour. Cute film, rather too self-consciously cool, soundtrack by Robin Guthrie. Then I looked to the computer and saw that Liz Fraser was to perform at this year's meltdown Meltdown. Okay, I can take a hint from coincidence. Pepper-Tree originally comes from the Cocteau Twins' 1984 EP The Spangle Maker . It's the first thing they recorded with bassist Simon Raymonde, whose sombre, slightly dissonant tones add so much to this track. Plenty has been written over the years ...

OK, dear reader, imagine if you will (and bear with me here), that *Cocteau Twins' *singer *Elizabeth Fraser* (4AD Goth-rock goddess, ask your parents!) is your mother, your older sister is none other than 90's one hit wonder Zoe of *Sunshine on a Rainy Day* fame and your mad auntie who visits your...

Philip James For those who like : Brian Eno, Cocteau Twins Toronto's Philip James creates spacey and fuzzy art rock on his new EP Mind Drone .  He plays Czehoski in Toronto on May 2nd. Listen to Mind Drone  here: <p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://philipjames.bandcamp.com/album/mind-drone"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Mind Drone by Philip James&amp;amp;amp ...