Vanilla Swingers
Label: Rough TradeGenre: Electronic, Pop, Slowcore
It was my daughter's birthday yesterday and the major festivities happen today, so the in-laws are in town (they just walked in the door) and my hosting and fathering skills are required, but I don't want to short change the 'hive or this band. Lucky for me, Anne and Miles of Vanilla Swingers just dropped these tracks of gold into our suggestion box yesterday, saving me the trouble of digging through piles of mail, electronic and snail. While their name rings oxymoronic (I imagine swingers to be more of a Rocky Road or Chocolate Fudge Ripple variety) there's nothing contradictory about Vanilla Swingers' music. Moody, electronic tracks are the backdrop for hushed boy/girl vocals telling the story of two lovers who run away to London then travel back in time. "I'll Stay Next to You" epitomizes Vanilla Swingers' cinematic themes and sound, while "Danger" sounds as if the Pet Shop Boys slowed things down to about 90 bpm and were fronted by a gorgeous, brunette chanteuse. Oh yes, despite their name Vanilla Swingers sound very brunette, the color of my desire.
I'll Stay Next to You [MP3, 12.2MB, 252kbps]
Danger [MP3, 5.6MB, 180kbps]
www.vanillaswingers.com
www.myspace.com/vanillaswingers
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British Sea Power
Label: Rough TradeGenre: Rock
It must have been 2004's edition of our year end lists when I included British Sea Power in my section of "Our Favorite Wish-We-Could-Put-Them-on-3hive Artists" after I had been enjoying their LP The Decline of British Sea Power. Now jump to present day, and, voila, here is British Sea Power on the 3hive, asking you the question in the title of their latest LP Do You Like Rock Music? It's also my way of making up for missing them at Noisepop in San Francisco last week (I also missed the Walkmen, ug). I know, excuses, excuses.
Waving Flags [MP3, 5.7MB, 192kbps]
Atom [MP3, 4.3MB, 128kbps]
www.britishseapower.co.uk/
www.roughtraderecords.com/
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Cornershop
Label: Rough TradeGenre: Beats, Pop
3hive reader Saud dropped a wake-up call in the Suggestion Box about Cornershop. He wondered if we'd heard of them. Yep. Heard of them, seen them play live, even worked the term "everyone needs a bosom for a pillow" into a conversation once...but, as so often I do with bigger acts, assumed they didn't have a free and legal MP3s to share. My face is red; I stand corrected. Here's some material from a couple years back, including the wickedly infectious MIA remix of "Topknot." New full-length due out in June. So keep it locked.
Topknot (MIA Remix) [MP3, 4.3MB, 96kbps]
Hot Rocks (featuring Rowetta) [MP3, 2.3MB, 96kbps]
Battle of New Orleans (John Peel Session) [MP3, 2.0MB, 96kbps]
www.roughtraderecords.com
www.cornershop.com
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