This is a bit of out of left field from Becoming Real and a definite change in style from his previous works like last years ‘Closer / Atlantic City’ 12″. ‘Paramnesia’ takes things altogether more upbeat and optimistic – an offbeat snare propping up a whirlwind of bubbling synths and bells. It’s not just a change in style, it’s a step up too.

‘Paramnesia’ will appear on a split 12″ with Dam Mantle on 27 May via the new Get Me! label. Props to Jami for the heads up on this one.

Sleigh Bells exploded onto the scene in 2010, and in a typically bold move, have wasted no time in following up their first album with the announcement of their second.

On February 21st, the hyped Brooklyn Duo will unleash Reign of Terror, and in doing so will release one of the most no-nonsense follow-ups in recent history of much-anticipated albums. Take a look at the build up of the sophomore efforts of the likes of Fleet Foxes, Vampire Weekend and Bon Iver. They were long winded and steeped in uncertainty at times.

But Sleigh Bells announced Reign Of Terror in late 2011, have now given us two album tasters in ‘Born To Lose’ and ‘Comeback Kid’, and have pushed back their initial release date by a mere week. Refreshing.

Have a listen of the newly released ‘Comeback Kid’ which knocks the socks off ‘Born To Lose’, then rode out of this town on the same horse it rode in on. Best way to describe it: A duet between The Prodigy and The Milky Bar Kid.

With his debut album, entitled ƒin, due on 27th January on Permanent Vacation, John Talabot has given us a taste of what to expect in the form of the album’s closing track ‘So Will Be Now’. It’s a collaboration with Pional that the two produced together in Madrid and it is seven minutes of the most beautiful music I’ve heard so far this year. Engrossing doesn’t do it justice – ‘So Will Be Now’ is warm, hypnotic house at its best and it’s exactly the sort of track that reminds me why I fell in love with electronic music in the first place.

AlunaGeorge will be massive this year. Nothing will stop that, even tiresome remixes such as this.

The original ‘You Know You Like It’ [see below] was a sexy, addictive piece of original pop music grounded in chart melodies and intelligent, low-slung synth work. This, however, is about as unimaginative as a remix gets. The usually on point Riton has fallen into the ‘dance remix’ trap where an increase in tempo basically kills everything that was great about the original. Pitched up vocals take all the sugary joy out of Aluna Francis’ voice, pounding four-to-the-floor beats take all that was interesting out of George Reid’s dub and, wait, is that half the bass line a of ‘Tainted Love’ dance remix I can hear? Maybe that’s just me.

It does give me an excuse however to post the (much better) original:

Having mentioned Alt-J in previous post about 2012′s bands to watch, I have been waiting in anticipation for their next offering. Now that it’s here, I’m blown away. ‘Fitzpleasure’ is absolutely incredible – a truly unique and eclectic sound with such an astounding level of depth. You can’t fail to be utterly engrossed.

Alt-J have managed to stay clear of the dangerous realm of creating a concept so different that people are fearful to allow time to understand. Delightfully balanced clean guitar tones and the band’s now highly recognisable vocal style allow for a smooth transition between the almost dubstep inspired verses and the ‘dream world’ themed choruses. This is massive for Alt-J.

Fitzpleasure will be released on 27th February via Infectious Music.

After a strong 2011, Clock Opera have started this year equally as fast with the announcement that ‘Once And For All’ will be their next single release. To coincide with this they have made a music video equally as thought-provoking as the previously released ‘Lesson No. 7′.

‘Once And For All’ is an emotional track in the most uplifting sense. The video however is not uplifting, quite the opposite (so probably don’t watch if you’re having a shocker) but it is a superbly directed picture all the same, with a good cameo from frontman Guy Connelly reading his paper. This track is likely to prove a very stirring beginning of the year for Clock Opera.

Once And For All is released 30th January on Moshi Moshi / Island Records.

I found this in a draft post I started to write in January 2011. I’m not sure why I didn’t get round to clicking publish the first time around but better late than never I suppose. Put together by the good chaps at Tympanogram, above is a map of music blogs from around the world. Unsurprisingly, they’re highly concentrated in the US and Europe but presumably it’s an ongoing project that will be expanded in the future to include ones from hitherto untouched parts of the map. Definitely worth sharing I feel.

Fresh from their inclusion in the BBC Sound of 2012 list, Niki & The Dove are back with a new video for ‘DJ, Ease My Mind’. If I remember correctly this track was the first piece we ever heard from the Swedish duo way back in 2010, but now they have a bigger fan base and a bigger budget, they’ve made a proper video for it. It’s still one of their strongest tracks to date and was one of the highlights when I saw them back in November

Another year, another astonishing array of releases to get you through January to December. But where last year had some very clear cut winners across the board (from the likes of Arcade Fire, Kanye West and LCD Soundsystem), this year has not appeared so obvious.

But, better late than never, Hotcakes brings you an eclectic list carefully decided by our five writers. Enjoy!

30. Givers – In Light

29. Balam Acab – Wander / Wonder

28. The Black Keys – El Camino

27. Gui Boratti – III

26. Chad Valley – Equatorial Ultravox

25. Destroyer – Kaputt

24. TV on the Radio – Nine Types of Light

23. The Field – Looping State of Mind

22. Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise

21. Arctic Monkeys – Suck it and See

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20.

Girls

Father, Son, Holy Ghost

Girls’ second full length is almost disorientating at first listen so diverse are the sounds of songs and their wide-ranging reference points. Album opener ‘Honey Bunny’ recalls the urgent surf rock sounds of their first LP, ‘Alex’ a straight up indie-rock song, ‘My Ma’ is an organ ballad, ‘Love Like A River’ is a waltz time, toe tapper, ‘Die’ is an aggressive, riff heavy, hard rock song. Right in the middle of the album comes ‘Vomit’, a definite highlight and song of the year – a 6 minute journey from the understated lo-fi opening of a sparse, single guitar line to the soulful, choir accompanied grand crescendo.

So you get it. The album features 11 incredibly different songs which come together to make a curiously brilliant album. This disparate collection of tracks is brought together, firstly by the excellent production job done by multi-instrumentalist and key member Chet ‘JR’ White but most noticeably by frontman Christopher Owens. Whilst Father, Son, Holy, Ghost is certainly much more a band album, Owens is at the forefront of everything that is effective about it. His delivery is fragile, intimate and extremely heartfelt and lyrically the record is tied together through the themes of forlorn love and lust, and sorrow.

There’s a great deal of sorrow, anxiety and loneliness present throughout Father, Son, Holy, Ghost – “love is just a song” the sombre refrain of ‘Just A Song’ and ‘Forgiveness’ which declares “Nothing’s gonna get any better/ If you don’t have a little hope” are examples of just that.  -Ollie

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19.

Shabazz Palaces

Black Up

With conglomerate hip-hop currently dominating the charts, it’s easy to forget the style has much to offer beyond an overriding concern with having swag, getting stoned, and expressing these desires through tight, expensive-sounding production (see Watch the Throne and this year’s breakthrough star ‘A$AP Rocky’ for more). In this sense, the release of Shabazz Palaces debut – Black Up – provided a vital reminder that the raw concept of hip-hop (rapping over electronically produced beats) could incorporate a vast range of styles and genres to startling effect. Throughout any individual song on Black Up, ideas change at an almost breathtaking pace. ‘Youology’, for example, channels the spirit of free jazz, occasionally becoming overwhelmed by an edge of lo-fi dubstep that distorts the vocals to the point of being barely audible. Finally, within the last minute, the track approaches something like a conventional verse of rap, although the odd saxophone pops up and confuses the whole thing.

All of this, and not one mention of ‘hos’. Not that I’m assuming Shabazz doesn’t have any. After this album, I’m sure they’re queuing up. - Seb

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18.

Jamie xx and Gil Scott-Heron

We’re New Here

It’s fitting that in the year we lost the wonderfully talented and troubled Gil Scott-Heron that his work graces the hotcakes end of year list again after narrowly missing out on top spot last year. We’re New Here is Jamie xx re-working and re-imagining the blues crooner and proto hip-hop poet’s final work I’m New Here. Just as the original record spanned genres from trip-hop to jazz, Jamie xx has produced a tremendously varied album which seems to pay homage to the music he loves. The coherence of the album owes much to the anchoring original material – I’m New Here after all was a record that highlights the power of Gil Scott-Heron’s extraordinary voice. Jamie xx wraps his modern soundscapes around Heron’s remarkable vocals, the effect is to create an album less sombre that the original and essentially what we are left with is a great dance record.

The success Jamie xx has achieved then is tying together the powerful poetry and using that voice to anchor an album equally ambitious and expansive, blending together a wide variety of genres old and new in a very modern way. It is telling that samples include disco diva Gloria Gaynor to house classic ‘Touch Me’ by Rui da Silva. After the success of what we thought was Gil Scott-Heron’s comeback LP, there is something here that is incredibly familiar, but Jamie xx’s fingerprints are all over this and Heron’s poetry is still the focus and is still allowed to breathe. The record certainly is a creative reworking and is great album in its own right, be sure of it this is not just a collection of remixes. - Ollie

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17.

Dutch Uncles

Cadenza

With the release of Cadenza this year Dutch Uncles, hailing from Manchester, have really progressed quickly. This quirky yet outrageously addictive album is one of the few offerings in current music which seeks to actively utilise unfamiliar time signatures without compromising the catchy charm they present.

With very competent guitar work exhibited throughout and an interesting take on synth, DU have created a very original sounding record and should strive to continue in the same vein into 2012. As would be expected from a band often focused on varying timings, the percussionist is seamless, holding the act together and providing the building blocks for which frontman Duncan Wallis can fire out some tasty visual dance treats. - Rich

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16.

DELS

GOB

Kieren Dickins, better known as DELS, has managed to create a sound that separates him from your run of the mill everyday hip-hop. Exhibited throughout GOB is DELS quickly recognisable brand of urgent and direct vocal delivery upon the backdrop of near indietronic soundscapes.

This debut album shows much potential with more experimentation and a darker side to Dickins than previously heard. The highlight for me is still first single ‘Shapeshift’ which immerses the listener into a powerful, and busy four minutes. ‘DLR’ shows a deep side to this artist with obvious comparisons to Roots Manuva to be made. To accompany this excellent album DELS also does his own artwork and videos – we can all dream. - Rich

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15.

Beirut

The Rip Tide

After the quick fire releases of Beirut’s first two albums, we had to wait four years for The Rip Tide to hit our ears. And the four years work is obvious in some ways, yet not in others.

The large gap between albums has allowed Beirut to update their sound and mesh together some fantastic brass instrumentation and some new electronic influence at times. Stand out track ‘Santa Fe’ is evidence of this, as Zachary Condon’s trademark trumpets roll and flow over the sort of zesty riff that Metronomy would be proud of. It is clear that a large amount of time has been spent fiddling with their original brand of world music mixed with indie pop, to create their most accessible album yet.

This album must have had a mini revival this month also, because you cannot help but feel Christmassy when listening to the trumpets of ‘Payne’s Bay’. It is just hard to see how it has taken them four years to produce just thirty-three minutes of music, it could definitely do with at least another track. - Jo

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14.

Three Blind Wolves

Sound of the Storm

Sound Of The Storm (released through Communion Records) is Three Blind Wolves first full offering and honestly does not have a single track which fails to captivate and engross the senses. Lead man Ross Clark provides rich and powerful vocals frequently supported by expansive harmonies over music with a rhythm that you know you probably should dance to.

Opening track ‘Hotel’ really does encapsulate the album title, starting with an incessant torrent of drums and distorted guitar leading into a beautiful clean country riff. Every track has bags of energy which matches these Glaswegians’ big live show with Clark more often than not in the crowd, or even better, walking out of the front door of the venue and continuing the gig out in the street. TBW are living the dream and clearly care deeply about the music they play which shines through, and this makes me care even more about this stunning release. - Rich

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13.

Zola Jesus

Conatus

Those familiar with previous Zola Jesus releases will recognise the key componants of Conatus – the brooding yet operatic vocals on top a blend of both the gothic and the industrial. This being Nika Roza Danilova’s third album, at just 22, she’s proving to be not only prolific but someone with an instantly recognisable style.

Conatus is however a step up in scale. Everything is of an epic proportion, whether it’s Danilova’s distinctive vocals, the ever-present classical strings or the foreboding industrial foundations each scene is built upon. In a typically dramatic interview with the Guardian, Danilova said of ‘Vessel’, that “finally I was able to communicate this universe that is my prison” – if this is the scale of reference then it is truly a grand psychological and philosophical undertaking. However it is one that gives more of a sense, as opposed to a description, of this universe with the Danilova’s vocals taking a back seat through both design and delivery. This is not a criticism so much as an observation, as the richly melancholic soundscapes contained within Conatus forge the intended vividly bleak world within the mind of the listener. Indeed, one you willingly visit time and time again. - Sim

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12.

Metronomy

The English Riviera

The change in Metronomy has been stark since their 2006 debut Pip Paine (Pay The £5000 You Owe) and even since 2008′s Nights Out. Perhaps this is embodied by the addition of bassist Gbenga Adelekan as it is the bass that stands centre stage on The English Riviera and allows composer and lead singer Joseph Mount the freedom to be at his best.

‘The Bay’, an obvious single, has energy and the hook of a dancefloor smash (see Erol Alkan’s remix) clashing with the carefree attitude of the English summer. The video for which hilariously brings the sexy, sun-drenched glamour of Miami to Torquay in Devon. Elsewhere, ‘Love Is Underlined’ could have been released by DFA and, along with ‘Corinne’, shows its full potential during the extended live versions. ‘She Wants’ is four minutes of gorgeous fret-less bass underlining Mount’s strongest performance of the album.

The English Riviera is porportedly a romantic look the south-west of England. Do I come away with a sense of the place? Not really. Did I play it at every barbecue I held last summer? Absolutely. It’s an avante-garde, eccentric, sympathetic look at the English summer through a very British filter of electronic-fused indie. Rightfully Mercury nominated, it stands as one of the albums of the year and by far Metronomy’s strongest release to date. - Sim

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11.

James Blake

James Blake

Let’s be honest, to some extent, James Blake was blessed from the start. All the mechanics of the hype machine whirred frantically in his favour at the end of 2010 – the BBC noted him as their tip for the upcoming year, and his early EP’s had been praised to such an extent that he might as well have just worn a t-shirt with the slogan ‘I AM POST-DUBSTEP 2011’ emblazoned across it. With this in mind, it would be wrong to say that when his album finally came out, it didn’t disappoint on some level. His early releases suggested an almost prodigal grasp of different musical genres, which Blake effortlessly spliced together. In comparison, the first full-length LP focused more on Blake’s vocals, with ‘Lindesfarne’, for example, reflecting a desire to turn to a more conventional form of song writing. Intelligent production and experimental structure now felt applied to a specific tune, rather than providing the overriding concern of the music. This change was far from being without merit: songs such as the rightly lauded ‘The Wilhelm Scream’ and the crisp beats of ‘I Mind’ both demonstrated just how easily Blake could switch styles.

So did I only feel let down because of the overexposure of his earlier and slightly better releases? The answer is probably, and I’d almost feel bad about it if the pay-off for some music geek’s mild disappointment wasn’t a hugely expanded fan base and collaborations with the likes of Bon Iver. - Seb

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10.

Cat’s Eyes

Cat’s Eyes

It’s hard to remember now, but only a few years ago, Faris Badwan was considered the hipster icon par excellence. As the lead singer of The Horrors, Badwan became the poster boy for a group of overly serious looking art school students, who blurred the line between fashion and art by dressing in a style that was far more interesting than that of the music they created. Now, after apparently spending less time in Topman and more time in the studio, Badwan is fast proving himself one of the most progressive people working today. Cat’s Eyes is a collaboration between Badwan and the Canadian opera singer Rachel Zeffira, who together have created a work of ornamental beauty.Melodies are sweet and understated yet produced with a lightness of touch that always gives the sense of something larger happening beneath the surface. The lyrical simplicity, on the other hand, lends a fresh sincerity to the sentiments it plays off.

Whilst describing your new boyfriend as ‘the best person you know’ risks entering the saccharine territory of Love Actually (I can almost see Kiera’s face gurning in delight as someone waves a sign at her with that phrase on), it instead comes across as simple and honest in the best – and perhaps most moving – way possible. - Seb

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9.

FaltyDL

You Stand Uncertain

For dance music, 2011 has been a year of change and growth. Dubstep officially breathed its last breath – if it wasn’t dead already – and in its place the seeds of something planted in the last couple of years came to fruition. Whether you want to call it post-dubstep, bass music or whatever, the love of sub bass and syncopated rhythms extolled by dubstep were applied to a growing list of other genres to great effect. This genre blending has however tended to be found in a single or EP format. There are exceptions of course – Zomby, Sepalcure and Rustie spring to mind from this year – but the dance music LP is an elusive beast that in taming often loses the wild, fleeting nature that made it worth hunting in the first place.

Someone who has mastered the art is the prolific American producer Drew Lustman aka FaltyDL. You Stand Uncertain, his second album on Planet Mu, is a melody led, percussion focussed tour of electronic music as it stands in 2011. Around half the tracks put vocals front and centre with featured artists on three. Taken as individuals, these poppier tracks are the highlights, especially the two with Lily McKenzie. Looking at the varied remainder: ‘It’s All Good’ gives you your sub bass fix, ‘Tell Them Stories’ is a rose-tinted homage to early 90′s rave with nods to Zomby’s ‘Where Were U…’ and the title track features a bassline that wouldn’t look at of place on an early jungle record. It’s clear Lustman’s taste is expansive but his ability to combine his influences into a cohesive and lucid whole is impressive with the album’s distinctive spine of hazy garage linking it all together. - Sim

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8.

The Weeknd

House of Balloons

Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd, started the year with just three songs on YouTube, all of which he’d uploaded himself. He ends 2011 lending his melancholic styling to a platinum record (Drake’s Take Care), and being featured on not just one track, but nearly a third of the album. Even by the standard of today’s internet artists, it’s an impressive leap to make. “How has he managed this?” I hear you cry, “did Drake spot Tesfaye and casually push him into the limelight?” Well, you cynical haters, the answer is an emphatic ‘no’ – I instead point you towards the mixtape House of Balloons that brought The Weeknd almost worldwide recognition within the months following its release. With his unique and highly affecting vocal style, Tesfaye creates a style of music that has the backbone of R&B but is fleshed out with an emotional vulnerability more akin to the angsty wailings of Radiohead. ‘The Morning’, the stand out track on the album, beautifully captures the moment of transition between the post-party drug-induced afterglow, and the encroaching presence of come-down paranoia with its stark focus on moral absence.

Perhaps Tesfaye’s only fault is picking a name that makes these subtle undertones in his music glaringly obvious – it’s like a party soundtrack for the weekend but something is missing. Gettit? Burial must have been gutted he didn’t think of the idea first – Dbstep is a much better name for an artist. - Seb

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7.

Little Dragon

Ritual Union

Since the release of their second album, Machine Dreams, Little Dragon have been everywhere. Lead singer Yukimi Nagano has lent her voice to a number of projects, from Maximum Balloon and Gorillaz, to SBTRKT and DJ Shadow. You don’t get to work with many bigger names than that in this industry.

So the eagerness to hear some of their own music this year was gigantic. Ritual Union did not let us down. Now renowned for producing some of the most lucid and catchy low frequencies around, Little Dragon have continued in that vein to aplomb. The double whammy of ‘Shuffle a Dream’ followed by ‘Please Turn’ must be the best track positioning on an album this year, with the latter winning this year’s coveted Hotcakes Bass-line Of The Year Award.

With such hugely famous artists paying this little Swedish band such attention, it could have been detrimental to what made the band so noticeable in the first place. But the four-piece have kept level heads and have produced an album that has made everyone else prick up their ears. - Jo

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6.

Zomby

Dedication

The buzz that surrounds any Zomby release is probably second only to those of fellow anonymous producer Burial. However, whereas the latter shies away from any sort of public profile, Zomby is a continual source of controversy. The owner of a hilarious perma-ranting Twitter, to him almost everything you are listening to is utter shite and he has no problem telling you so. This is not a guy who plays by the rules and he certainly doesn’t care what anyone thinks of him.

With this is mind, it should come as no surprise that however brilliant and striking Dedication is, it is also the most frustrating album I owe – just three of the sixteen tracks come in at over three minutes long and the whole album runs for just over 35 minutes. Nevertheless, unlike previous Zomby releases, Dedication is not a continually jarring sequence and its constituents are woven such that it can and should be consumed in its entirety with the possible exceptions of ‘Natalia’s Song’ and ‘Mozaik’ which are strong enough to stand independently.

Notwithstanding these, the experience is one of fragments drifting past you and 35 minutes later so has the album. You find yourself witnessing a wide-ranging collection of jungle and 2 step derived percussion, staid appregios and funereal timbres all rolling in tandem with other sombre half-thoughts and gothic inspirations partly given shape. Importantly, what’s obvious is that this collection of fragments is the sound of a genius at work. The fact that he is somewhat obtuse and skittish can be forgiven as he continually stands head and shoulders above so many of his peers. - Sim

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5.

Fleet Foxes

Helplessness Blues

The signs for the quality of Helplessness Blues were ominous. A Klaxons-esque back-to-the-drawing-board approach in 2009 could not help but suggest that Pecknold and Co. were struggling to create material that lived up to their self-titled debut. Fleet Foxes, admittedly, was a very tough act to follow.

Despite the immense anticipation, there was a feeling in my mind that their second album would disappoint in the way that many have this year (Bombay Bicycle Club, Justice and Digitalism being the main culprits). But the moment the title track and opening single ‘Helplessness Blues’ was released, all worries were washed away with the strums of the first guitar strings. All premonitions were brushed aside with the first note of Pecknold’s amazing voice. And all apprehensions of a lasting sound were disregarded with the first listen of ‘The Shrine/An Argument’.

At times the simplicity of the music in this album puts perfectionist producers to shame. Who needs pristine production when your guitars skills are so unwaveringly intricate and your song structure is so effortlessly natural?  - Jo

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4.

WU LYF

Go Tell Fire To The Mountain

WU LYF (World Unite Lucifer Youth Foundation) have this year made a real impact not just by creating a stunning debut album in Go Tell Fire To The Mountain, but also by ensuring that however much press coverage they may receive, they still maintain a level of clever anonymity which keeps us guessing and wanting more.

I must admit while waiting for the band to take stage this year at Leeds cult venue Brudenell Social Club (very fitting) I didn’t quite know what was going to happen… The pre-show anticipation built for WU LYF is huge and the band do not let down, producing an emotive display, playing catchy energetic tracks which allow both scene kids with nice hair and hippies with glow sticks to dance together. In essence, the music of WU LYF is uplifting, two step fueled LAD pop with real depth, yet somehow never crossing the line into cheesy chorus based monotony. - Rich

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3.

Wild Beasts

Smother

Surely one of the biggest omissions in Mercury Music Prize history is the fact that Smother was overlooked for the shortlist this year. There is a slight departure from the guitar sound that defined their second record Two Dancers, which did receive a nod from the Mercury panel.

Wild Beasts have the amazing gift of being able to develop and adapt their sound from record to record whilst still being undeniably and instantly recognisable. This time around rather than the vaudeville pomp of Limbo, Panto or the hooting and howling Two Dancers, Smother finds the boys purring and prowling. Smother represents a more measured approach and move towards a layered, minimalist almost synthesised sound but the defining features of a Wild Beast record are all present and correct – the brilliant contrasting vocals from Hayden Thorpe’s operatic countertenor to Tom Fleming’s arresting, brooding delivery and the incredibly dexterous and hypnotic drumming of Chris Talbot. And the lyrics, oh the lyrics! Smother’s lyrical content is as brooding, risqué and equally seductive and lustful as ever – see lines like “New squeeze take off your chemise/ And I’ll do as I please” on ‘Plaything’.

Less immediate than its predecessor, Smother is a challenging record which once given a few spins is beautiful, intimate and rewarding and serves as evidence that Wild Beasts really are one of Britain’s best and most forward thinking bands. - Ollie

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2.

The Antlers

Burst Apart

Most discussions about the Antlers fourth full length seem to start with their previous LP – because, after making one of the cult records of 2009 – the stunning, beautiful and heart breaking Hospice, the pressure certainly was on for the boys to deliver this time around.

Where Hospice was defined by its sparse and bleak sound and concept, Burst Apart manages to sound both huge and grand whilst remaining composed, elegant and refined. Back in April when ‘Parentheses’, the first track from Burst Apart emerged, the first thing to notice was the impressive production – despite the minimalist somewhat minimalist approach there was a great deal going on. The incredibly big drum sound for example, the punctuating growl of snyth sounds and that haunting falsetto which Pete Silberman deploys with immense precision. The album continues in that vein; the production is perfect, allowing for the fragile intricacies to wash over the listen. Tracks are densely layered with brooding electronic sounds and textures, and despite not being as bleak or as painful a subject matter as Hospice, Silberman’s voice oozes deep, dark emotion. It’s not all slow burning, layered textures though. Tracks like the anxiety riddled ‘Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out’ is evidence of indie-rock chops, and the distorted guitar will have you moving your hips, as will the staccato guitar and accompanying organ of ‘French Exit’.

Burst Apart then is a record that although by no means being a light, easy record is no where near as challenging as the incredibly dark Hospice. Each song is beautifully crafted, delivered with precision and emotion, and although there is an immediacy to it which its predecessor lacked, the degree of depth which is present in the instrumentation and production has left everyone consistently reaching for a pair of headphones to really get their teeth into this one. - Ollie

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1.

Bon Iver

Bon Iver

When Justin Vernon’s band released 50 seconds of tantalising video for ‘Perth’, to announce their second album, they reinvented the meaning of the word ‘teaser’. The snippet was just long enough to know that Bon Iver’s melodic guitar play was back, but not extended enough to hear that incredible falsetto voice. ‘Perth’ set the scene fantastically for what truely is a superb second album.

It is no mean feat to go so smoothly from the stripped down sound of For Emma…, to leading a nine strong line-up through ten beautifully layered songs.

Bon Iver is by no means a one trick pony, and this second album has cemented that fact. To those who thought he could only sing falsetto, direct them to the opening vocals of ‘Minnesota, WI’. For those who deemed him incapable of skilled percussion, point out the second half of ‘Calgary’. And to those who reckon the acoustic guitar is the only string to his bow, just play the first minute of ‘Wash.’.

This second album, engrossed in such grandiose production when compared to their debut, has opened the door for Vernon and co. to lead the way in music experimentation for years to come. - Jo

Dry The River are a band that have long convinced me that at some point their gripping vocal harmonies, integrated within well structured, mood-building tracks – not to mention their relentless tour schedule – would pay dividends. With the latest announcements it appears the fruits of labour are finally emerging for this band with a rapidly growing fan base boosted by a series of big show support slots earlier this year.

Following the release of the excellent Weights And Measures EP DTR have now announced the release of their next single ‘The Chamber And The Valves’ and their highly anticipated debut album entitled Shallow Bed scheduled for the 27th February and 5th March respectively.

As well as these announcements, Dry The River were featured in the BBC’s Sound of 2012 list which will act as a welcome publicity boost in what is likely to be the most eventful and exiting year yet for a band who have long exhibited much potential.

Catch Dry The River at their biggest headline show yet at Camden’s Electric Ballroom on 2nd May as well as numerous other venues around the country on their full UK tour:

17 Apr 7:00 PM – Bodega Social Club, Nottingham
18 Apr 7:30 PM – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
19 Apr 7:30 PM – Academy, Manchester
21 Apr 8:00 PM – Cafe Drummond, Aberdeen
22 Apr 8:00 PM – King Tuts, Glasgow
23 Apr 8:00 PM – Limelight, Belfast
24 Apr 8:00 PM – Cyprus Avenue, Cork
25 Apr 8:00 PM – Whelans, Dublin
27 Apr 7:45 PM – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
28 Apr 8:00 PM – The Cluny, Newcastle upon Tyne
30 Apr 7:30 PM – Fleece, Bristol
02 May 7:00 PM – Electric Ballroom, London
12 May 8:00 PM – Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich
Tickets: http://www.musicglue.net/drytheriver/

Tracklisting for Shallow Bed:

1. Animal Skins
2. New Ceremony
3. Shield Your Eyes
4. History Book
5. The Chambers & The Valves
6. Demons
7. Bible Belt
8. No Rest
9. Shaker Hymns
10. Weights & Measure
11. Lion’s Den