This is all we care about

Most Disconcerting Trend: Great bands that are younger than I am

I'll be turning 25 in February, and for the first time this year, I really noticed that there are (a) plenty of bands who are way younger than me, and (b) many of them are actually really great.

From the United States, there are two bands of Kids (Black and Cool), from Jacksonville and Chicago respectively, who are pretty good and show promise for the future. Cool Kids, particularly, have the balls to name a song 'I Rock' and it's entirely accurate. Beirut put out a great second album that sounds like a travelling carnival. I'm sure there's other American whippersnappers that I'm forgetting.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the water, London gave us Cajun Dance Party, whose single 'Amylase' is one of those summer singles that grabs your attention and stamps on your attention and then leaves your attention bleeding on the pavement. Their mate Fryars put out an EP that I talked about here before Stereogum and GWFA (small victories!) and Ben sent me a nice message over myspace, so I've nothing but time for him. Los Campesinos! have received all the attention in the world, and good luck to them with the album due very soon. My birthday party had a facebook event entitled 'You! Me! Dancing!' in fact.

The year's MVPs for me, though, were The Strange Death of Liberal England, a band whose debut album 'Forward March!' brought out the best parts of dearly beloved Hope of the States, plus a bloke whose voice is like Efrim's from A Silver Mt. Zion. For me, at least, it's been a match made in vocal post-rock heaven. Check 'em out.

[download Cajun Dance Party - Amylase]
[download The Strange Death of Liberal England - I Saw Evil]

Bonus: 'I Rock' (live) from the Cool Kids video:



[Black Kids myspace / official site]
[Cool Kids myspace / official site]
[Beirut myspace / official site]
[Cajun Dance Party myspace / official site]
[Fryars myspace / official site]
[Los Campesinos! myspace / official site]
[The Strange Death of Liberal England myspace / official site]

I wasn't born a killer

I heard about this song from frYars (man, that's annoying) from Rosie Swash's Singles Club column, and since I generally trust what she has to say, I gave it a listen. The song, 'The Ides' goes through many layers, with some rinky-dink pianos at the beginning, nice phasers, a voice that sounds like a young man pretending to be an old man, many lyrics that aren't too clear, a distinct DIY vibe, and it's not bad at all. City of origin? What do you think?

Keep an eye on the Myspage for tunes and missives.

[download frYars - The Ides]