Dante Elephante

New music. Bloody great, isn't it? I'd nearly forgotten after eight months of studying for a Master's degree. But a few hours free this afternoon and a few minutes of listening to the debut EP from Dante Elephante and I'm happy as larry. And part inspired by my meeting with Matthew of Song, By Toad at Great Escape last weekend (never have I been called a c**t in such a loving way), I've decided to WRITE A BLOODY BLOG POST.

Dante Elephante are from California and, unless you're one of those people who can only listen to certain quotas of particular 'types' of music, you'll like them. Yeah, some people might describe it as 'surf pop' and, yeah, there are lots of other bands that some people might describe as 'surf pop' around at the moment. But, seriously, who gives a shit? The songs are good. From the very first few seconds of opening track 'All The Time' - with its energetic, crisp hi-hat sound juxtaposed with the upbeat guitar - you know exactly what you're in for. It's catchy, it's happy, it's fun. And it's one measly dollar for six-tracks of it. Listen below and love music/life.



Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter

New: The Black Tambourines - 27 - 25 Blues

News of a new EP from Falmouth's The Black Tambourines has been a fairly long time coming, but judging from '27 - 25 Blues' it looks like it may well have been well worth the wait. The band's third EP Chica will get a release on cassette through the ever-excellent Art Is Hard Records on 19th December, they've announced, and along with the cassette you can also get a fancy t-shirt and poster too.

Although still vaguely surfy and lo-fi, much like the four-piece's work to date, '27 - 25 Blues' feels more mature, more thought-through, and more wholesome than much of the (already very good) stuff that they've made before. The guitar lines are the perfect blend of dirty and catchy, and the harmony vocals on the chorus continue to rattle around your head long after the first spin. It's pop music, but not as most people know it - and it's bloody good.

The Black Tambourines - 27 - 25 Blues

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BE▲▲CH TREES

This whole fascination with the sand, sea and surf is all getting a bit unbearable. Still, here's me adding to the waves. Get it?

Typically based in California - and naming both the act and the song about said topics, even with the addition of the witch-house styled non-letters - BE▲▲CH TREES seems to be the act of one man alone and Beach Sand seems to have been made in one evening, so we'll give him a bit of a break. Plus, it's pretty ace song - all laid back and ethereal sunshine.


BE▲▲CH TREES - Beach Sand

Bandcamp |

New Album: Triptides

It's pretty ace seeing a band work from early demos and obscurity to getting to a point where they can put out their debut full-length, and we're really happy to see that surfy US duo Triptides are indeed releasing their first album - Psychic Summer - out through Beachtapes, no less.

We first posted about them on BF back in November so it's pretty exciting to be writing about their album 9 months on. As anyone who has listened to them in the past would expect, and given the amount of time they seem to have spent nurturing it, it sounds pretty darn ace on first listen.

Listen to and download some tracks they've made available for download from Psychic Summer, or go and buy the whole thing from bandcamp.


Triptides - Spirit Flows


Triptides - Psychic Summer

Bandcamp | MySpace

Yesteryear: The Cherry Smash

Yesteryear is a new weekly feature on Basement Fever aiming to highlight some ace music from the past that hopefully you won't have heard of, or if you have heard of it, maybe you haven't got around to listening yet. Yeah.



The Cherry Smash seem like an apt first choice for Yesteryear, given that if I stumbled upon them on bandcamp today, they would be blogged without doubt by tomorrow. Thanks go to Reeks Of Effort for turning me onto them a few months back.

Formed in California in the mid-nineties, their only release - 7" West Coast Rip Off - is three tracks of lo-fi jangly/surf pop that I absolutely adored on first listen, which they put out in '96/'97 before they changed their name to Spectacle, toured for a little while with The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and released an apparently unsuccessful full-length. Still, their 7" is pretty ace. Hear the excellent Airport Girl and Nowhere Generation below.


The Cherry Smash - Airport Girl


The Cherry Smash - Nowhere Generation

Michael Christmas

The rain continues to fall during the British summertime, just as bands continue to make lo-fi surf and garage rock tunes - fronted on bandcamp with a hazy image of a beach - that I fail to resist. Again, nothing incredibly original or new from LA Florida act Michael Christmas (who were named Dali Jensen up until about a week ago), but it's just the kind of 'vibe' that I want staring depressingly out of the living room window. And that these (self confessed "sloppy and thrown together") demos were written and recorded by one dude alone, that's pretty impressive, right? New stuff is promised soon but until then listen below, or download a full EP's worth of material for free at bandcamp.


Michael Christmas - Serff Jones


Michael Christmas - Nada one

Bandcamp |

The Bell Peppers

With a name like that, you probably wouldn't expect The Bell Peppers to sound how they do. Rather than a Red Hot Chilli Peppers cover band or the new theme tunesters for Man v. Food, the Manchester band opt for nonchalant and lo-fi surf-rock vibes. It's a sensible move, and one that might get them some more attention from bloggers who like to link bands to the weather - if we actually get any sun this summer. If you like Y Niwl or simply a convincingly retro sound, then you'll like these - and so will your gran.


The Bell Peppers - Rubber Bullets


The Bell Peppers - Monquito Diner

Bandcamp | Facebook | Nods to The Pigeon Post

New: VVOLVES

Blogged about south Wales four-piece VVOLVES at the start of the year following a debut EP release on Peski Records. It was all dancey, punky youthful synth-led pop - vibrant, energetic, and perfectly effective. Looks like they've decided to move in 2 entirely new directions since then, though, with 'Strange Blood' and 'People' springing up on their bandcamp page for free download this week.

The former track, Strange Blood, is slow-paced, pensive, down-beat and almost-balladry in its make up; crying vocals, big guitar sounds, violin sounding synth, slow paced drum crackles, and minor-key piano chords throughout. It's affecting and effective - and couldn't be much more different to other new song People. Surfy guitar chords jerk in time with echoing snare hits bringing to mind Fair Ohs, and the similarity to US surf-punks remains a fairly valid comparison for the rest of the track also.

Arguably pretty brave to cover such a broad range of sounds especially for a band so early into their 'career', but it pays off here for sure. Listen below and hear more at bandcamp.


VVOLVES - Strange Blood


VVOLVES - People

Bandcamp | Facebook

Best Friends

Sheffield four-piece Best Friends' lo-fi garage-meets-surf rock racket may be nothing overly original but it's an excellent blend of sounds and perfectly executed also. Distorted vocals, twanging guitar, buzzy bass, crashing drum sounds and the soundtrack to your summer, maybe. Patriotism may largely be a racist's excuse, but it makes me feel a little proud when stuff like this comes out of the UK. Listen below or download the full EP on bandcamp or SoundCloud


Best Friends - Lip Curl


Best Friends - Beach Bitches

Bandcamp | SoundCloud | Facebook | Twitter

Revisiting: The Black Tambourines

Posted about Falmouth three-piece The Black Tambourines back in November not long after their split 7" release with New Years Evil on southwest label Art Is Hard, commenting on their excellent surfy, noisy pop jams based on the tracks contained on that release. As excellent as those tracks were, it's only since recently (and belatedly) stumbling on their latest Hombre EP that it's been cemented in my mind just how good and really exciting these bunch are. Should never have doubted their 'stayability' - evidence below.


The Black Tambourines - All Gone


The Black Tambourines - Vitamin D

Facebook | SoundCloud | Blogger | Split 7"

Art Imperial

Have listened to this for approximately 10 minutes at time of writing so apologies if these words are a bit weak, but I like this too much not to share it straight away. Exciting, vibrant pop music from Toronto's Art Imperial, with equally brilliant (and brilliantly blatant) nods to Best Coast and surfy influences. This will be on Pitchfork in a few weeks if it isn't already. I am excited, happy and looking forward to listening again. Grab stuff below or a full EP at bandcamp.


Art Imperial - My Crystal


Art Imperial - When I'm With You (I Feel Dumb)


Art Imperial - Bugs Out Of My Mind

Bandcamp | Facebook

Speak & the Spells

First blogged about back in 2009, everything seems to have gone a bit quiet for the London group since then. They've set up a bandcamp, though, and uploaded some catchy surf pop vibes. Hope it's not another 2 years before someone blogs their as of then new material, 'cause this is super good. It's probably perfect for this hot weather, too, but I won't go down that route. Oh shit, did I just?

Speak & the Spells - Easy To Do

Speak & the Spells - Until Her

Bandcamp | Facebook

Paper

From one genre that many will have had enough of (Deadbeat Beat's garage rock blogged yesterday), to a whole new one todayl the surf rock sound of Paper. Same rule applies - if surf's not your thing, you might not want to bother. If it is, and it arguably should be, then this is for you.

Paper are a little bit like a Los Angeles based, scruffier sounding version of North Wales' Y Niwl. It's largely summery fun surf music with long periods of instrumental (although at times also a little bit punky, see: Surfing In Mexico), executed in a highly naïve and lo-fi way. Whether out of necessity or choice, I'm not too sure, but this is good, even if done a few times before. Listen below, or grab a whole album over at bandcamp.


Paper - Into the Navy Navy Blue Blue


Paper - Temper Clinic


Paper - Summer In Mexico (cover)

Bandcamp

Bos Angeles

Bos Angeles are a band from Boscombe (just by Bournemouth on the south coast of England) that nobody seems to know very much about, other than that they’re from Boscombe and that the members met through making ice cream. It’s a pretty apt way for the three-piece to have met if the only recording of theirs around at the moment – Beach Slalom – is anything to go by. It’s music that deserves to be played by groups of friends pissing around on hot summer days; surf-infused post-punkyish vibes with a good helping of catchy pop. A spoonful of this will help the proverbial medicine go down – these are definitely worth keeping an eye on. Check out Beach Slalom below.


Bos Angeles - Beach Slalom

Bandcamp

Triptides: Tropical Dreams

Posted about Triptides a while back - talking about their last 6-track EP/mii-album. It was all surfy indie pop goodness, made even better by being given away for free. (It still is, infact. Click here.)

It's pretty easy to imagine them getting pretty big, given their accessible sound and catchy tunes, and it looks like it might be headed that way. Word is gradually spreading through blogs and word of mouth, and their next EP/album, Tropical Dreams out officially March 29, is being released through BeachTapes. Hear it below.


Bandcamp | MySpace

BEACH!

Only a quick post today, but I think it's a pretty good'un - music from Brighton artist BEACH!.

Fast paced and noisey, 'Summertime' is a fine showing from a project in such early stages. A song with an overriding pop feel, though awash with plenty of echoing shoegazey reverb and catchy surf vibes, it reminds of the likes of Jesus & Mary Chain but yet never feels inferior to the genre's masters.

Expect more top music from (and more words of praise on here for) BEACH! in the near future, hopefully.


BEACH! - Summertime

Bandcamp | Thanks to Pigeon Post

Y Niwl: New Video

Don't usually care about videos, but I like the band, the song and even the video itself so why not. Y Niwl's video for Undegpedwar, a single taken from their self-titled debut:

Mood Rings

Mood Rings recreate the sound of yesteryear, just like many others bands do, but, unlike many of their peers who adopt similar approaches to songwriting, the Georgia-based group are very particular in their selections of which music from yesteryear to take influence from, and are also very good in their execution of this.

Despite their sound being heavily influenced by the music of the past, it’s the types of music that the band are influenced by that also makes it very now. It might be that they just happen to love the music that is so popular and fashionable right now, or it might be slightly that the band know just which combinations of genres will get bloggers twitching in anticipation after reading about or hearing them.

Year of Dreams would sit entirely comfortably on the new Smith Westerns album, with clear 70s rock (and many of its branch-off genres) influences in both the vocals and in one of the guitar lines, but also 60s pop influences in the drum beat and in a second echoing guitar line. Heavy Favorite continues the band along 60s pop and doo-wop lines - enough to satisfy any Frankie Valli fan wanting some new material; whereas Washer sees them step into darker, even more reverb-y territory. Heavily distorted guitar strums and echoing vocals with still a hint of that 60s surf-pop influence recap The Jesus and Mary Chain side of the shoegaze era.

I don’t really care which one of those is true, to be honest. I’m just enjoying the result of it for now. Free songs below or on their own bandcamp, and also a free EP, Sweather Weather on this bandcamp page here.


Mood Rings - Heavy Favorite


Mood Rings - Washer




Bandcamp | MySpace |>

Mowbird

Fuzzy garage rock from Wrexham, with hints of surf, punk, and pop. Who’d have thought it?

Download some tracks below, at the band's Last FM page, or download the Excellent, OK EP plus two demos from their bandcamp.


Mowbird - Oh, Susan


Mowbird - Thank You, You Are Revolting (demo)

Facebook | MySpace | via waitfortheclick

Y Niwl

Festivals are good fun for many reasons. They provide you with places to drink mere stumbling distance from places to sleep, they collate some of your favourite bands and allow you to see loads of them in the space of six hours, and, probably my favourite part, they introduce you to bands which you have not heard before.

Indeed, this is how I came across North Wales-based Y Niwl (which translates to "the mist", I think). They played one of the best, if not the best, sets at Latitude this year and it was a real joy to watch their instrumental surf rock; so chilled out and smile-inducing.

I wrote a few words about them and Latitude as a whole on this blog not long back, and the band contacted me the same day with a link to download their upcoming album. I was a little apprehensive that their songs wouldn't have quite the same effect as they did listening to them in the sunshine with a beer in hand. I needn't have worried, though, as it's a really strong and really enjoyable release - listening to it, you'll struggle not to sway to the surf-styled guitar twangs, and the tempo changes are super enjoyable. "Ten tracks of instrumental surf rock, surely it gets a little samey?" Somehow it doesn't. Two guitarists allows for some good to-ing and fro-ing, and some 60s styled keys brings a different sound and feel to tracks, like on "Deg" where it takes over the lead role - the vocal role, almost - from the guitar. Some tracks sway in the wind whereas others have a real driving forwards feel. I could imagine it on Sega Mega Drive's Road Rash, for sure.

Unfortunately for you, their debut album isn't released until November. You can find info about their debut EP, released earlier this year, from their MySpace page, though, or you can read a little about it at The Joy Collective. You can also catch one of their songs on an upcoming Wichita compilation. Or just listen to a stream of the great "Undegpedwar" below.

Y Niwl - Undegpedwar