Geotic [MPFree]

Geotic is the ambient side-project of California electro-pop whizzkid Baths, a.k.a. Will Wiesenfeld. Maintaining the lo-fi aesthetic but eschewing the scatter-gun beats of his day job, he’s recorded an album of fuzzy, guitar-led instrumentals called ‘Mends’ and made the whole thing available for free via his website. Recorded in four days over the xmas period (in a toilet presumably), Mends wraps itself around you like a warm towel, as all records legally should at this time of year.

Website www.angelfire.com/indie/postfoetus/geotic.html
MySpace www.myspace.com/bathsmusic

Puro Instinct [MPFree]

Many an eardrum pulsated to the sound of shimmering, California dream-pop during 2010. Ballsy ladies with guitars made grown men want to drop-out, move to LA and take up weed smoking again (or was that just me?). Unfortunately, debut efforts by the likes of Best Coast and Warpaint lacked substance. Puro Instinct hope to change all that with ‘Headbangers In Ecstasy’, released February 22nd on Mexican Summer.

Formerly Pearl Harbor, sisters Skylar and Piper—with a little help from Ariel Pink—have been described as “somewhere between The Pale Saints and a dreamy Chris Rea covers band”, which is a bigger compliment than it sounds. ‘Stilyagi’ is the first single from ‘Headbangers… and suggests the band may be a much tighter proposition than some of their peers, though the nonchalant vocals and Fleetwood/Cocteau references are all present and correct.

Puro Instinct – Stilyagi

MySpace
Website
Label: Mexican Summer

The Megaphonic Thrift

The idea of originality in music is a strange one. Everything sits somewhere on the family tree of previous sounds, and the idea of true originality is long since moot. The Megaphonic Thrift don’t even bother to try and sound original, shamelessly pillaging the back catalogues of great alt-rock and shoegaze bands like Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine, and generally sounding like a fan-made collage as a result. To some people this is anathema; but I’m not massively fussed, if the songs are good. Some very good bands are blatant copyists. One of the best rock ‘n’ roll albums of this millennium is comprised of covers – a homage to early funk and soul icons. The reproduction of Sonic Youth’s signature sound on display here, complete with male-female vocal interplay and intertwining guitar lines, is an interesting act in itself.

The Megaphonic Thrift – Dragon Vs Dust by snipelondon

Snipe Exclusive: Everything Everything (Entrepreneurs Remix)

Who’d have thought that the preposterously catchy “Photoshop Handsome” by ubiquitous indielords Everything Everything could be improved? Entrepreneurs do, evidently – they’ve inject their “Socratic Suplex” remix with a languid, bass-heavy punch without disturbing the intricate hi-speed hooks of the original. A remix of the year contender.

Photoshop Handsome (Entrepreneurs Socratic – Suplex Remix) by snipelondon

Plantagenet 3 - Nocturne

A second MPfree today from London-based instrumentalists Plantagenet 3, who combine surf-inflected americana with Ennio Morricone’s dramatic atmospherics. Catch them live at the Buffalo Bar this Friday alongside Foxes, and see the video for “Theme From An Imaginary Western” below.

Plantagenet 3 – Nocturne by snipelondon

Blackbird Blackbird

It takes a bit of internetting to find out anything about Blackbird Blackbird. He’s a solo artist called “Mikey” (Twitter), his surname is “Sanders” (last.fm) and comes from San Francisco (Myspace). He’s prolific, rapidly releasing free EPs such as Modern Disbelief via Bandcamp. He’s been covered in some of the more lofty blogs, meaning there’s a lot of internet love out there. He’s remixed bands like Concretes and Warpaint, meaning there are probably some labels sniffing around him by now too. Odds are, he won’t be self-releasing his gorgeous, dreamy, DIY pop songs for much longer. Stay tuned.

Blackbird Blackbird – Modern Disbelief by snipelondon

Warpaint – Undertow (Blackbird Blackbird Remix) by snipelondon

John & Jehn

We are deeply in love with tres-cule French couple John & Jehn here at Snipe, as any sensibly minded person who’s come across them should be. Their heart-warming schtick is all Lou Reed and Audrey Tatou playing Bonny & Clyde, and they’re so damn beautiful, likeably human and strikingly talented, you just gotta play along. A session version of their live favourite “Fear, Fear, Fear” can be downloaded below, and you can find out all about their new EP and get another free track here.

John & Jehn – Fear Fear Fear (Live) by snipelondon

Sin Fang Bous

Sin Fang Bous is the project of Sindri Már Sigfússon, singer of Icelandic folk-pop band Seabear. His solo album, Clangour, is a brilliantly imaginative construction of trilling pipes, strummed strings and ramshackle arrangements that surprises at every turn. Tjék him out.

Sin Fang Bous – The Jubilee Choruses by brainlove

Youthless / OLUGBENGA

Sometime Metronomer OLUGBENGA has remixed Youthless into a spacious, mathy electronic construction. Rumour has it the London-based DJ and producer will be playing out his bright-eyed remix works and catholic song selections with a series of DJ gigs this coming December.

Youthless – Golden Age [OLUGBENGA EDIT] by onebirdrecords

Win Spokes Tickets

Widescreen, orchestral pop merchants Spokes celebrate their first single with a gig at Electroworkz in Angel this Thursday. Also on the bill are Huw Stephens-approved Capac, and Our Lost Infantry. You can win a pair of tickets and a signed 7” by following the instructions on our Twitter, but if you don’t want to risk missing out, tickets are available here.

Spokes – Torn Up In Praise by snipelondon

Capac – Palindrome by snipelondon