Andrew Bird - Puma

1.    Who is this lauded lord of tunes?

Andrew Bird is an indie folk rock musician from Lake Forest, Illinois. A multi-instrumentalist and prodigy he has been making music since 1996. Puma (Feb’16) is an album track off Andrew Bird’s tenth long player Are You Serious (April’16).

2. What’s he got?

Puma is a languid pop rock number with infectious melody in spades. It's got a bit of up the guts verve too.


3. Who does he sound like?

Puma sounds like a Belle and Sebastian tune. Comparisons to Paul Simon are out there.


4. What have the cut and paste bandits said about Puma?

“The most intricately composed thunder ever” – NPR.

“A sing-along sensiblity that is both georgeous and cathartic” – DIY.

“A bonafide rocker” – AV Club.

 

 

 

5. Who are Mr Birds influences?

 

Andrew Bird is influenced by classical music, jazz, British folk, bluegrass, swing and Calypso.

 

 

6. Why should I crank Puma up on the stereo?

 

Puma is a heartfelt song about Andrew Bird's wife's illness and that strength of feeling is conveyed on a tune that drifts away and bangs a bit in equal measure.

 

 

7. Does the venerable sir have any more good un's?

 

The first single from Are You Serious, Capsized, has a rocking groove.

 

 

8. Any more words?

 

Are You Serious has a track with a Fiona Apple collaboration, Left Handed Kisses.

 

 

“She was radioactive for seven days,

How I longed to be holding her anyways”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Low Cut High Tops is multi-instrumentalist, producer and indie grunge pop rocker David Burns. Hailing from Seattle he released his stonking debut album Eh, Whatever (Jan'16) with a bevy of top notch singles including Raise Hell. Indie Shuffle compared Raise Hell to The White Stripes, The Japandroids and Wavves and big upped it's “punk rock bravado and garage rock cool.” Low Cut High Tops is the best thing in music this year and Raise Hell has a killer riff to lift the roof off any barn.

 

 

“And I will raise hell, oh yeah!” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The Best Indie Songs of 2015 - Record/Start

Remember the first time you heard Weezer? If it was an outrageously joyful moment read no further. Just press play on Record/Start’s Rock From Afar (Feb’15). This is the same hard edge of indie rock, pop-punk, infused with 60’s surf pop melodies.

Rock From Afar opens with a glockenspiel playing the melody and flows into a hard rocking groove. The rest of the song is there, pack full of sweet as saccharine Beach Boys vocal harmonies and Weezer flourishes. A tune with some sensitive sentiments about wanting to be popular by manipulating appearances, nonetheless it rocks so hard you could bounce a dime off its ass, and sure as shit is one of the best indie songs of 2015.

“Then late at night we jumped the fence and got wasted in the pool

I had so much time for you, girl I wished you felt it too

But damn, one heart flutters, not two"

Rock From Afar is a double A side single from the Brighton one man band Record/Start that is Simon Callow. He is a multi-instrumentalist who has been recording his own music and releasing it since early 2014.

Shit you need to know:

Rock From Afar was touted by this reviewer as the “perfect feel-good anthem with driving guitars and beautiful layered vocals.”

This person thought “The softer touches are what makes the song stand out so much.”

Record/Start's newer influences include M83, The Joy Formidible and Metz.

Record/Start's older influences are 18 Wheeler, Silver Sun, ELO, Led Zeppelin, The Pixies and the Beach Boys.

Record/Start have been compared with Weezer, Waters and PAWS. Other comparisons are Los Compesinos! and early Blur.

Music industry types have a hard-on for this music. Simon was approached by Post/Pop Records, who release The Subways and Ash, to record for them. A Japanese label, This Time Records, also took an interest and released his tune.

Simon played in a Manchester alternative rock band Carlis Star before striking out on his tod.

So you’re looking for more cock-punching hard-rocking tunes by Record/Start?Try Followay or Electric Minds. Make yourself happy you did. The man is a genius.

Whilst reminiscing about Weezer’s Blue Album I was reminded of this cut from the English (albeit formed in New York) alternative rock band Spacehog and their exceptional hit emblematic of the times In The Meantime (1995).

“And in the end we shall achieve in time, the thing we call divine,
When all the stars will smile for me”