Matty Fasano

ARMS bassist Matty Fasano has just released his debut single 'Unkind/Unusual', a free download of two delicately sparse, piano led songs.



More at mattyfasano.bandcamp.com.

Hess Is More

This all-kinds-of-excellent footage of Hess Is More's live outfit keeps making me return to his new single 'Creation Keeps the Devil Away', but I'm not sold yet. Do you prefer drum-circle-kraut-jazzercise or glacial-disco-pop?

Hess Is More 'Creation Keeps The Devil Away'

More at nublu.net.

Kidcity : Bloody Face

Toronto's Kidcity are 21-year-olds Kelly Ann and Caleb whose debut EP is released at the end of May. The duo call their dark pop “clip-hop”, impossibly placed between Enya and Dr. Dre, but they could happily be filed alongside Balam Acab and other drag-happy innovators.

'Bloody Face'

More at kkidcityy.com.

Shine 2009 : So Free (Feat. Paula Abdul)

It's 1990 again and everything is amazing.





More at cascine.us.

Forest : I Like Your Dreaming

Swedish three piece Forest release their S/T debut album of frosty, romantic electronic pop through Service on 21st February.

'I Like Your Dreaming'

More at srvc.se.

Junk Culture : Summer Friends

Junk Culture releases a new EP reflecting "a lifetime of influences" from west-coast style pop to hip-hop mash-ups and raw punk-informed electronic dance tunes. 'Summer Friends' is released through Illegal Art on 1st February.

'Summer Friends'
'Weird Teenage Vibes'

More at illegal-art.net.

YAWN : Toys

New video from the ace YAWN.

Elk

Sometimes Brooklyn/sometimes Michigan producer Elk mixes pet sounds, tropical pop, sound effects and 60s soul on 'Volleyball', the first track taken from the forthcoming debut album 'Let's Get Married'. The bedroom recorded, self released album follows up his 'Honey Range' EP which is currently available for free download on Bandcamp.

MP3:
'Volleyball'

Frankie Rose & The Outs : You Can Make Me Feel Bad

I love this performance of Arthur Baker's 'You Can Make Me Feel Bad' by Frankie Rose & The Outs. It features on the ex-Vivian Girls/Crystal Stilts/Dum Dum Girls drummer and friend's self-titled debut album out now.

More at memphis-industries.com.

Antarctica Takes It! : Constellations

Antarctica Takes It!'s new album 'Constellations' is out today.



More at How Does It Feel To Be Loved?.

Sad Day For Puppets : Monster & The Beast

'Monster & The Beast' is taken from Stockholm-based Sad Day For Puppets's second album 'Pale Silver & Shiny Gold', released on Sonic Cathedral Recordings on 1st September.

MP3:
Sad Day For Puppets 'Monster & The Beast'

More at soniccathedral.co.uk

Bishop Morocco : Last Year's Disco Guitars

Toronto duo Bishop Morocco's debut single is the nu-wave/synth pop/shoegaze referencing 'Last Year's Disco Guitars'. Their self titled debut album is released in September.

MP3:
Bishop Morocco 'Last Year's Disco Guitars'



More at Hand Drawn Dracula.

Grovesnor : Taxi From The Airport (dEbruit Remix)

I meant to post this excellent Grovesnor remix by Debruit ages ago in May but it got stuck as a draft. Still, better late than never.

MP3:
Grovesnor 'Taxi From The Airport' (dEbruit Remix)

More at grovesnor-music.co.uk

Memory Tapes : Bicycle

More at myspace.com/memorytapes.

The Boo Radleys : Reissues

The Boo Radleys were my favourite band in the early/mid 90s, and news of reissues sparked of a pang of nostalgia at Proper Songs. They were mainly remembered for their single 'Wake Up Boo!', but The Boo Radleys were more than a one hit wonder. Their finest moment 'Giant Steps' was an ambitious 17 track genre clash that NME's readers voted as album of the year in 1993 and still stands up today.

'Giant Steps' and follow up 'Wake Up Boo!' have been reissued by Cherry Red along with bonus discs containing B-sides and remixes, which include some of their best work.

Here are some nostalgia inducing VCR quality videos from the 90s:









More at cherryred.co.uk

Lost Idol : Guest Mix

A few words about the mix....
“When asked to put together a mix for Proper Songs I felt it right to do just that – haphazardly throw together a selection of songs in the traditional sense of the word, i.e. conventionally structured pieces of music with lyrics, verses, choruses, ends & beginnings. These are all songs that have inspired me over the last year or so & for different reasons too. The Chap kick things off appropriately with ‘Proper Rock’ – an eccentric, chunky-chorded ode to girls & clubbing that properly rocks. Elsewhere there are moments of true beauty, with Talk Talk’s ‘I Believe In You’ surely being one of the most gloriously reflective songs in existence, & The Beach Boys’ ‘Until I Die’ undoubtedly the most heartbreaking song Brian Wilson has ever put his pen to. Later in the mix Animal Collective bring a nugget of contemporary psychedelia that fires straight into the cosmos while Clouddead pull off that rare trick of making the abstract surprisingly accessible. If you’re of an age where friends made you mixtapes & vice-versa when you were young, then this is exactly that - a collection & sharing of songs which I love & wish to pass on to you; proper songs of love, death, girls, dogs & clubbing.”

Selected & mixed by Lost Idol May 2010

Lost Idol's latest album 'Brave The Elements' is out now. More at cookshopmusic.co.uk

Primary 1 : Princess

I'm sure there's a pun in crossing Madness with Mad Max somewhere but its too late on a Friday afternoon for me. So just check out Primary 1's video for 'Princess' and be done with it.



Follow @theprimary1.

Quadron : Quadron

On their self-titled debut album, Quadron flip the future RnB sound of Sa-Ra, Plantinum Pied Pipers et al with Motown influences and a familiar Danish pop aesthetic that recalls the much underrated Benny Sings. Single 'Pressure' accentuates the Motown feel to excellent memory jogging effect.




Read full review of Quadron - Quadron on Boomkat.com ©

More at Plug Research.

Angus & Julia Stone : Big Jet Plane

'Big Jet Plane' is taken from their new download only EP out on April 26th.

More at angusandjuliastone.com

B-Movie Lightning : Triple Trouble

B-Movie Lightning is Mike Smalle from Galway, Ireland. Also a member of Cane 141, he's collaborated with such musical luminaries as Mark Eitzel (American Music Club) Sean O Hagan ( The High Llamas/Microdisney/Stereolab) and Cristian Vogel of Super_collider. 'Triple Trouble' is his debut release as BML and is set for a 7" release later this spring, but is currently available on 'An Taobh Tuathail Vol. III' compiled by Cian Ó Cíobhain of the excellent radio show of the same name.