David Sitek’s latest project is never bland

Maximum Balloon is exactly what you might expect from a David Andrew Sitek side project. Since emerging with Brooklyn’s too-cool-for-school TV on the Radio and going on to produce debut albums by Scarlett Johansson and Foals, Sitek has operated in that enviable space where one’s name becomes a byword for hipness while no-one really knows what you look like. His ability to shape dark yet entirely accessible soundscapes that touch on electro, soul and black pop while retaining the otherness of art-rock make him the perfect person to present a multi-vocalist set that occupies a dinner party-friendly middle-ground between Gorillaz and Mark Ronson.

A welcome return

It’s difficult to talk about Scottish fuzz-poppers The Vaselines without mentioning the ‘C’ word, so let’s get it out of the way. It’s certainly fair to say that they’re best known for Kurt Cobain’s patronage – Nirvana  covered three of their songs (Son of a Gun, Molly’s Lips and Jesus Doesn’t Want Me for a Sunbeam), and he even named his daughter Frances Bean after vocalist/guitarist Frances McKee – but that shouldn’t be allowed to obscure the rest of this intriguing story.

Check out the official video for the new Pendulum single ‘THE ISLAND’ - out on September 19th

An unexpectedly poignant turn from the indie veterans

Manchester’s James have always been an anomalous pop phenomenon. Initially too idiosyncratic and uncompromising to fit even on as libertarian an imprint as Factory Records, for whom they made their debut in 1983, and always too insular and awkward to give hometown contemporaries The Smiths  sleepless nights, when they did eventually hit chart pay dirt, at the turn of the 90s, it was with their distinctive t-shirt range as much as a line in empathetic, route one anthems.

Cave and co exhibit a bigger, fuller sound on their second LP

Just as you thought you’d worked out Nick Cave’s twisted version of songwriterly sophistication, along came 2007 and Grinderman. A strange kind of side-project starring Bad Seeds  stalwarts Martyn Casey, Warren Ellis and Jim Sclavunos, Grinderman dumped the usual modus operandi by insisting "No God, no love, no piano", based themselves around Cave’s rudimentary guitar skills and deep love of the nasty side of the blues, and made a self-titled debut that made you laugh out loud at its rumbling aggression and hilarious takes on mid-life crisis and being an unapologetic dirty old man.

Attention Thieves are a British alternative rock band from Reading, formed in 2009 and is a brand new project for Alex Green formerly of the Arusha Accord.

Debut single Broken Promise was recorded with producer Adam Whittaker (Mark Ronson, Kate Nash, Julian Cope) and will be released on Monday 6th September, worldwide by Eden Music and distributed by Believe Digital. Broken Promise is raw and honest and has the kind of chorus that will sound incredible when chanted by an arena-sized crowd. To give you a taster of Attention Thieves sound listen and/or download the track From My Reach

Attention Thieves - From My Reach (promo) by Eden Music

Ritter’s sixth LP shows potential for greatness in time

Six albums into his career, and with a novel on the way, Josh Ritter has become a feature on the landscape of American songwriting through quiet persistence. In a sense, So Runs the World Away might be the grand statement he’s been building towards, although you might not know it from the first listen. The best songs here charm their way into your affections more than they grab you, and if few stand out it’s because they’ve all been so carefully crafted.

Enchantingly minimalist between-albums EP

How They Are is slight, delicate; it sounds as if any external noise would drown it out. Listen on headphones, and even at volume the music here is challenged by anything else: a passing siren, the drone of daytime office radio, requests for cups of tea to be brewed. It is not intended as an album proper, recorded as it was during downtime, when Broderick – sometime Efterklang  member, fully fledged solo artist – was forced to rest up following knee surgery. His next album will, instead, arrive in 2011, assisted by his neo-classical composer friend Nils Frahm. Beguilingly, though, this is perhaps more than an album, despite its brevity.

You can download the Turnstyle Bento number 11 curated by Lefse records containing the following tracks below.

1. A Classic Education - "Gone To Sea" (Lefse Records) A Classic Education is definitely my favorite Canadian lead Italian band! JK. I saw these guys live at SXSW this year and they blew me away. We are putting out their ep on Lefse Records. Layers upon layers!

2. A Lull - "Weapons for War" (unsigned) I first heard "Weapons for War" on Pitchfork, and knew there was something special about these guys. I was totally unprepared when I saw them live at a Pfork Fest after party. All members drum at one point or another. Expect big things from these guys.

3. Dominant Legs - "Clawing out at the Walls" (Lefse Records) This has got to be one of my favourite songs of the year.

4. Brothertiger - "Lovers" (unsigned) Chill wave, glo-fi, glo-wave....whatever this song is the jam.

5. The Traditionist - "Three Legged Dog" (unsigned) The Traditionist's 2009 release Seasons to Seasons is one of the criminally overlooked albums of the year. This track is a bedroom demo.

Download Here

Kurran and the Wolfnotes release their second single ‘Your Four Limbs’ on September 13th through Chess Club Records. They bring an unmistakable twist to the alt-folk sound complimenting New Yorker Kurran Karbal’s faltering, heartbroken croon. You can liste and/or download their last single and watch the video to Your Four Limbs below.

Kurran and the Wolfnotes - Here To Fill You In by WorkItMedia

Bobmo - My House (Douster Remix) - download here

The only discernible connection between this song and classic Chicago house is the thundering, God-like male vocal saying, “This, is my house.” Otherwise it’s jagged, almost dubsteppy speaker pummeling, bird call samples (we think?), arena rave synths, and a mind spiral of other weirdness crammed into what is ostensibly a “dance record”. Must those crazy Institubes guys. Indeed it is—a Douster remix from Bobmo new EP, Bring It.

Holy Ghost! - Static On The Wire (RAC Remix) - download here

Sorry for doubling up on RAC remixes this week, but this one was too good to pass up. Actually, screw that. Putting this glistening, gassed-up version of “Static On The Wire” in your life is not something we should apologize for. They made the guitar solo louder! Holy Ghost!’s debut album is still a ways off, but the Static On The Wire EP is out now. They really always earn that exclamation point, huh?

Ticketsreleased Friday 3rd September 9 am for

• The Courteeners
  
• Brandon Flowers
  
• The Pogues
• Klaxons
  
• Grinderman
  
• The Wombats
  
• Band of Horses
  
• KT Tunstall
  
• Ian Brown
  
• Underworld
• Leftfield
  
• Seth Lakeman
• The Drums
• Ash
• 30 Seconds to Mars
• Mark Ronson and the Business International
• Deadmau5
  
  

Buy your tickets here

A primer, or a snapshot, of bass music that’s cookin’ in 2010

London producer Brackles’ first release was less than two years ago, and he was still effectively a brand new face in the record racks when enlisted to remix Kid Cudi’s Day ‘n’ Nite – the original, blog-friendly 2008 release, rather than the one from last year which smashed the UK and US charts to bits, but still. An idea of exactly how much of a name he’s made for himself among consumers of the freshest electronic sounds can, however, be found in the very existence of Songs for Endless Cities, which is a 17-track mix released by the venerable and respected German label !K7 (actually a brand new sublabel, Cool in the Pool, if we’re being technical). They don’t let just anybody sling some tracks together for their imprint, and Brackles – real name Rob Kemp – justifies their trust with a fluid, zippy mix.

The Megaphonic Thrift are a Norwegian ‘supergroup’ of sorts, consisting of members from Casiokids, The Low Frequency In Stereo and Stereo21.  They hail from idyllic Bergen, on the west coast of Norway, that music-wise is probably one of the best known cities in Scandinavia for having given birth to bands like Røyksopp, Datarock, Casiokids, Kings Of Convenience and Ida Maria.

At 24 years old, Orianthi has already experienced what most aspiring musicians only dream of. She's opened for her hero (Steve Vai), backed an Idol (Carrie Underwood), traded solos with a legend (Carlos Santana) and shared the stage with the King of Pop (Michael Jackson). What's left to conquer? The world stage, for one, and this guitar wunderkind has her sights clearly set on the road ahead.

Her first ever single, Acording To You will be released in the UK on 6th September, taken from her hot new album Believe hitting the UK a week later on 13th September!

One lucky winner from the UK gets the chance to win a custom guitar designed signed by the lady herself. All you need to do is drop your details in to this form HERE. Make sure your entries are in by Sept 5th, when this competition will close.