Bloom

When talking about London-based group The Veils, no one ever forgets to mention that frontman Finn Andrews comes from a musical family. His dad, Barry Andrews, was a founding member of seminal new-wave outfit XTC. As far as I’m concerned, Finn has his old man beat. After a total revamp of the lineup in ’04 and some more band-member switching recently, I think it’s safe to say that the young Andrews is the only thing needed to keep The Veils float. The band’s latest release, Troubles of the Brain, is an EP put out a few weeks ago by Pitch Beast Records, The Veils’ own label. It’s the first song that’s got me buzzing about the band’s first post-Rough Trade release.

Opening track Bloom sounds like it would be right at home on New Order’s Power, Corruption & Lies. The song is not a typical Veils jam, but that’s what I like most about it. I don’t know if it’s Andrews invoking a little of his old man’s genre or what, I don’t care – the song rules. It’s cool to see the band doing something a little different (even if it’s the only breath of fresh air on the EP), and it totally works. Listening to Bloom also marks the first time I’ve thought of comparing Andrews’ vocal work to Michael Gira or David Byrne. Good to hear a song that pays tribute to some awesome acts from the ‘80s. I’m tired of all that synth-centric tributes to the ‘80s that have been popping up in the last couple of years (Sorry, M83). Check out Bloom and be sure to buy the new EP on iTunes.

Bloom--The Veils


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At My Heels

"I can't come up with any reason why a ghost is following me."

Photo Credit (my dear friend) Doyle Bley

Happy December Everyone. Unfortunately, school/homework has become my new hobby for the time being. It’s frustrating because now I have all these cool new site features, yet no time to post. I know many of you are in the same boat, so with my 5 extra minutes of time today (literally), here's a song that I hope will help ease the studying pains.
Twin Shadow is the brainchild of Brooklyn’s George Lewis Jr., a multi-instrumentalist with a penchant for bedroom-quality production. He creates new new-wave with emphasis on synths and drum machines that sound like the real thing. Some call it ‘dance rock,’ but really the only dancing I’d be doing to this is in my bedroom. His uptempo albeit mournful meditations evoke 80’s legends New Order/Joy Division much more so than Duran Duran. His entire debut album, Forget (released in August), employs the same subtle gloom which the former made so popular. The under-appreciated At My Heels, while never released as a single is nonetheless my favorite off the album. In this song Lewis stretches his silky smooth croon (which has been compared to Bowie’s—listen for it) to its full potential, beautifully ruminating on his attempts to shake off the past.

Right Click to Download: At My Heels--Twin Shadow