Oh my funk. Houses, the latest track from the intoxicatingly danceable duo Fantastic Fantastic makes every part of me bob around. It’s playful and fun, but has a certain darkness to it, much like a drunken night in the city. The production is muted and hazy, but doesn’t fail to fly from the speakers, swirling around in it’s almighty funking glory. Stream it below:
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New: Fantastic Fantastic – Houses

Wow, well it’s competition season here at Crack In The Road. First headphones, then festivals and now parties with XXYYXX, Dam Funk and Young Magic.
To celebrate the launch of this year’s <a href="https://visionsfestival.com/">Visions Festival</a>, the motley crew behind the indie inner-city celebrations have given us two tickets to their pre-party, taking place this Friday at The Laundry on Waburton Road.
<a class="e-widget" href="https://gleam.io/a1Wc9/visions-festival-preparty-giveaway" rel="nofollow">Visions Festival Pre-Party Giveaway</a> 
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The one day festival, taking place in <a href="https://visionsfestival.com/venues">four venues</a> across London Fields, promises to be a blinder. You can read about last year’s escapades <a href="https://api.crackintheroad.com/music/23779-live-review-visions-festival-2013/">here</a> and enter the competition above. The competition closes at midday tomorrow with winners announced Friday morning so you better be quick!
Tickets for Visions Festival are still available for a reasonable £30 <a href="https://www.visionsfestival.com/">www.visionsfestival.com</a>
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Win 2 Tickets To The Visions Festival Pre-Party

SELF CONTROL?! How?! That electro-pop trio of Swedes, Kate Boy, have finally released a new track that makes the wait more than worth it. After three infectious (and successful) singles last summer Self Control comes at the perfect time to reignite the hazy lazy summer air.  The rippling anthem of electronic love sounds like a missed lead single off fellow Scandinavians, The Knife’s, iconic album Deep Cuts. Its time to lose control in self control and live.
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New: Self Control – Kate Boy

We’re very stoked to have the premiere on Leeds based producer Favela’s chill take on Lana Del Rey’s ‘West Coast’.
Having first come to prominence last year with the sublime track ‘Easy Yoke’, which will now also be available on Majestic Casual’s upcoming compilation, Favela returns with a remix that demonstrates a subtle yet powerful level of production. Immersing ‘West Coast’ in a further level of melancholy, Favela’s take has only made us more excited for his own future releases.
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Premiere: Lana Del Rey – West Coast (Favela Remix)

Sunboy are one of my favourite new bands in the world right now. They’re bold, ambitious and a shedload of fun, not to mention awesome songwriters. Having wowed with a few tracks toward the tail end of last year, the Colorado duo are back with latest cut, Nu Religion. Another slice of woozy, Tame Impala inspired indie-rock, it’s wonderfully in your face and over the top. With the right team behind them, and a few more tracks to the quality of those already released, there will truly be no stopping Sunboy.
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New: Sunboy – Nu Religion

Just two days ago, electronic music fans were given a taster of the latest release from the innovative Young Echo group of musicians in Bristol. The leftfield producer Vessel, after a year or two releasing occasional tracks under the radar in the wake of his 2012 debut, Order of Noise, returns with this snippet from his forthcoming album. Red Sex, though arguably no less experimental than the music forming his previous output, is quite different in nature from the music on the previous LP; where Order of Noise presented the listener with a very dark, glitteringly immersive experience operating somewhere on the boundaries of minimal techno, this similarly experimental track proves very dissimilar in tone and structure. It’s an altogether more visceral, in-your-face piece of music which wastes little time in assaulting sensibilities with its pounding four-on-the-floor and manipulations of a modulated synthesiser. The remaining minutes go on to detail and develop this sound into intelligent areas by way of astute pitching and a shrill-sounding breakdown about halfway through.
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Though it’s obviously difficult to speculate what the direction an entire album will take on the basis of one taster track, Vessel does seem to be following through on his expressed intention to shift away from “archetypal electronic sounds” towards a result “that felt more organic, even if the sounds themselves weren’t inherently organic”. Reportedly using a variety of object-instruments like percussive sheets of metal, as well as building his own make-shift flutes from sawn-off bicycle parts, he is clearly one of the producers currently out there who is pushing at the edges of the form, which is always exciting to see. After the publication of Actress’ brilliant record, Ghettoville, earlier in the year, it could feasibly have been expected that no other 2014 release of this nature would top Darren Cunningham’s leaden, sparse and almost formless soundscape; but this threatens to do just that. Red Sex is available to stream now and the album, Punish, Honey, is due to be released on 15th September by Tri Angle Records.
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New: Vessel – Red Sex

Escapists are a London based four piece who create massively emphatic guitar driven pop and we are delighted to premiere their new track Ocean Of Noise which is taken from their debut album Only Bodies, out August 4th. When I first clicked play, images of the summer months speeding past me, disappearing into the muted colours of autumn shot straight into my head. Maybe it’s the short lived, sporadic summer I’m experiencing up here in Glasgow, or maybe it’s the drifting haze of the guitars and the propelling rhythm destined for the sunset slot at every festival across the country. Describing the track as “dark disco”, Escapists aren’t afraid of their pop aesthetic and judging by this release, coupled with their previous efforts, the mainstream and the indie kids won’t be either.
Stream Ocean Of Noise below as well as previous tracks Eyes, Breaking It Up and Blood, all of which will be featured on their debut album Only Bodies:
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Premiere: Escapists – Ocean of Noise

Citing the likes of Lorde, Ellie Goulding and St. Vincent as inspirations, it’s safe to say that LA teenager REL harbours pretty impressive ambitions. Having kicked off a <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/therealrel/rel-and-the-ep-adventure" target="_blank">Kickstarter campaign</a> to fund her first EP with the release of her debut track, All That Bite, it’s perhaps a testament to the quality of the track that she’s already well over halfway to her funding goal. Upbeat and gloriously punchy, it’s clear she knows her way around a hook, and has the attitude to go with it. Check out All That Bite below.
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Introducing: REL

Every once in a while a song comes along that’s clearly signalling the start of something huge. British duo HONNE have definitely found the winning formula on their spectacularly sensual debut, Warm On A Cold Night, a brooding, soulful number, drawing as much from James Blake as it does from far more pop orientated records. Amidst a modern, often fleeting industry, where the passivity of numerous artists sees them come and go within a matter of days, there’s easily more than enough about HONNE’s first offering to suggest that the two-piece could well be around for some time to come. To put it simply, this is one of my favourite debut tracks of the year. Check it out below, released 1 September via Super Recordings.
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New: HONNE – Warm On A Cold Night

Sometimes I post certain pieces of music just because they grab my attention. In the case of LA’s Anie, I can’t decide whether I absolutely love them, or detest them, but hey, it’s making me feel something; it’s anything but passive. Their debut outing, Lovekill is centred around one of the weirdest hooks of the year, it’s all bright, bubbly synths and the sort of lead vocal that immediately kicks up West Coast imagery. Adore it, or hate it? Maybe a bit of both. Check it out below.
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New: Anie – Lovekill

For a song titled NEON, Sydney’s Little Deeds debut (somewhat of a relaunch in truth) track is rather more subdued than you’d expect; that’s not to say it’s not hugely impressive. Elements of London Grammar’s Hannah Reid or Florence Welch drift in and out, yet there’s far more to Little Deed than simply a great voice, this is some dauntingly good songwriting. Building to a gloriously over the top crescendo, it’s safe to say that Little Deed has made on hell of an impression. Check out NEON below (<a href="https://indiemusicfilter.com/currently-listening-little-deed" target="_blank">via</a>).
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New: Little Deed – NEON

London’s Tenterhook aka Archie Faulks cropped up on quite a few radars earlier in the year with his stunning debut offering, Stereo. Having followed it up with a couple of sold out shows, and a second track, Chemicals, he’s now released a fitting video for his debut, perfectly mirroring the tender, delicate atmosphere of the track itself. With a rapidly growing fan base, and a <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/tenterhook-ep/id898235210" target="_blank">self-titled EP</a> out 25 August, expect Tenterhook to make serious inroads in 2015. Check out the beautiful video for Stereo (directed by Jessica Hughes) below.
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Video Premiere: Tenterhook – Stereo

So synth-pop duos/trios are definitely all the rage right now, with the likes of CHVRCHES, Purity Ring and Broods leading the way, it’s an exciting time for electronic-pop music right now. LA trio MOOD ROBOT (Alex Kazenoff, Ben Kazenoff and Kelly Mickel), shine on their self-titled EP, a delightful mix of slightly cheesey 80’s inspirations, and even a touch of the now seemingly defunct tag, ‘chillwave’. EP highlight, Singin’ Like I’m Crazy definitely slides towards the sickly sweet end of the scale, yet the intelligent production and powerful vocals of Mickel stop it straying into synth-pop dross territory. Check out the full EP below.
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Introducing: MOOD ROBOT

Having featured on a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZXm39V68WE&app=desktop" target="_blank">TIEKS single</a> earlier in the year, 19 year old Londoner (originally from Culver City, CA) Celeste, steps out with her debut solo track, Born Again. Self-written and produced by Tev’n, it’s an exploration of her soulful, pensive vocals, set against a nostalgic electronic backdrop. For a first release, it’s mighty confident, and will undoubtedly see her making inroads in all the right places. Check out Born Again below.
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New: Celeste – Born Again

Shura already released the best pop song of the year, (see <a href="https://soundcloud.com/shura/shura-touch" target="_blank">Touch</a>), and she’s back again with another stunner. Just Once, perhaps the best pre-break-up song of the year, well and truly puts her on the map as one of this years most exciting new stars. At this point it feels like her career could go two ways, either keep writing exquisite, cult-forming (seriously, look at people practically hyperventilating on <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=shura&src=typd" target="_blank">Twitter</a>) pop songs, or crossover to a far more mainstream perspective. Either way, more songs like this please.
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New: Shura – Just Once

Belfast-based UNKNWN have recently released this, their anticipated new EP under Champion Sound Records. ‘Devil/BBY’ follows on from a string of Youtube releases back in 2012, made under the solo moniker, Unknown, all anonymously titled ‘#001′, ‘#002′, ‘#003′ etc. The songs collectively generated a train of hype and speculation regarding the identity of the producer behind the project, and for a while there really were some slightly bizarre identifications being thrown about the place in relation to the issue (with maybe the pick of the bunch being that UNKNWN was in fact Skrillex attempting to cultivate some underground credibility by way of a new online alias, after the tweet of ‘#001′ by Skrillex’s then-girlfriend Ellie Goulding). Now that he’s revealed to be Chris Hanna, a talented local producer/DJ working with DSNT and several other projects, you can’t help but laugh and wonder in equal measure at social media’s ability to create its own completely wayward artificial hype and urban myths. It’s a great thing, hindsight…
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This elusive-persona strategy – not the only thing, it seems, UNKNWN have borrowed from Burial – has unfortunately led to accusations of cynical and deliberate marketing ploys on Hanna’s part, especially in the harsh review doled out by Resident Advisor for his first EP release, ‘#001-#004′. In this collective of early tracks, certainly, you do hear the clear marks of William Bevan’s minimal, bass-infused music – an influence Hanna himself has made clear – but then you can hear how the duo UNKNWN move away from his early work as you make your way through the growing catalogue, developing into a sound which still holds echoes of it but which is more distinctly their own.
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This new offering, accordingly, takes the project into a promising new space, and a good deal of this is down to the vocal contributions of UNKNWN’s other half. It’s a paltry ten seconds before the listener is treated to the soulful, licking sounds of singer Gemma Dunleavy, who Hanna teamed up with in 2013, and whose input really lifts the music just that bit higher, especially on the excellent first song, ‘Devil’. The Ghosts remix of this opener follows as track number two on the EP, and reworks its trip hop orientation into a more focused and bass-heavy dubstep track. ‘BBY’ continues to make good use of Dunleavy’s vocal capabilities as it develops and unravels, leaning further this time towards the darker, Burial-inspired side of this form of hybrid downtempo electronica. The final part to the collection, titled ‘Purify’, is maybe the most singular of the songs on the EP and ends the sequence on a strong note with its thudding bass and overlapping beat patterns, an aftermath track of comparative spareness which makes clever use of a distancing bridge coming in at the three-and-a-half minute mark. As an overall package, ‘Devil/BBY’ is accomplished and impressive, coming from a young duo who will only get better. It’s available to buy and download now.

New: UNKNWN – ‘Devil/BBY’ EP

Whilst some of the early BANKS tracks felt a little passive and apathetic at times, her more recent run of material (Goddess & Brain in particular) are far more direct and forceful, going straight for the jugular, especially in the cutting lyrical content. With her debut LP, Goddess, out in under two months time, she’s gradually teasing the entire album on her Soundcloud, with another track, Beggin For Thread, released this evening. More upbeat and memorable than the likes of Bedroom Wall or Fall Over, it’s a side to BANKS that personally I far prefer.
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New: BANKS – Beggin For Thread

Photo: Eliot Lee Hazel
Maybe a little early to start considering Sound of 2015 lists, but whatever, this is a new music blog, get used to it. One name that will definitely be there or thereabouts on the majority of lists (the ones that they didn’t make last year, at least), are London trio Vaults. With a fantastically received set at Latitude this past weekend, and their debut single Cry No More still clocking up impressive Soundcloud stats, the three piece are ready to take 2015 by storm. Latest track, Lifespan, sees them returning to the winning formula of their debut, with the Ellie Goulding-esque vocals proving a particular highlight. Elegantly poised yet somewhere remarkably hard-hitting, check out Lifespan below.
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New: Vaults – Lifespan

Sadly I can’t really tell you too much about Knoxville’s Kye Munroe, she’s a bit of a beautiful enigma (she shares a birthday with Posh Spice, I know that much). Self-producing from her mini-bedroom studio, her songs are dark, slightly claustrophobic pop tracks, drawing from house inspirations. Recent offering, Hide and Seek, is a sleek, almost BANKS-esque number, but with far more kick to it. Elsewhere there’s the brooding instrumental Limitation alongside a couple of collaborations (some of which have seemingly disappeared). Check out Hide and Seek and The Line below, as well as a couple more of at her <a href="https://soundcloud.com/kyemunroe" target="_blank">Soundcloud</a>. Also keep up with her awesome <a href="https://kyemunroe.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>, where fans have likened her to everyone from Megan Fox to Jacquelyn Jablonski.
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Introducing: Kye Munroe

It’s quarter past one in the morning and the fire alarm in the building next to me has just gone off; thanks London. Anyway, lovely coincidence, Aussie outfit Tora have just uploaded this new gem, Eat The Sun. Another slice of super-chilled out electronic-pop, part James Blake, part SOHN, it’s a further development of their sound, and also a worthy reminder of the strength of their <a href="https://soundcloud.com/toramusic" target="_blank">previous material</a>. Check out Eat The Sun below.
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New: Tora – Eat The Sun

Okay, so bear with me for a second, this is a very un-CitR style track to be posting on these pages, but it’s just absolutely perfect in a cheesy, impossible-not-to-love way. So first and foremost, it’s pretty much ‘house music’ (whatever that means anymore nowadays), it references a plethora of summer related cliches (‘swimming in our underwear’, ‘stick our toes into the sand’ ‘sleeping bags under the moon’), and features one of the most addictive hooks of the year; so all in all, it’s a sure-fire hit. Had this been two or three months earlier, you would have been expect a label to pick this up, rush-release it big, and it to be stuck on the radio for weeks to come. Hell, we’ve always got summer next year.
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New: La+ch – You Are My Summer (Feat. Coleman Hell & Jayme)

Klo. (Melbourne cousins Chloe Kaul and Simon Lam) cropped up with their intoxicating debut track, Make Me Wonder. Countless blog posts and 75k plays later, the duo return with their second offering, False Calls. Again drawing from R&B influences, whilst sticking to their pop roots, they’re part Purity Ring, part Ellie Goulding, and perhaps the latest in a growing number of breakthrough musical duos. Check out both tracks below.
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Introducing: Klo.

Already one of the most talked about new artists of the year, Låpsley’s rise to fame is proving a rapid one. With a debut performance at Glastonbury a couple of weeks back, and now a video released for the stunning Painter (Valentine), it’s now not so much a question of if, but when. Directed by seventeen year old Harvey Pearson, adopting a similar sort of story-telling ethos as found in the work of CitR favourite Tyler T Williams (Coma Cinema, Craft Spells, Youth Lagoon), it’s a fitting tribute to the beauty of the track itself. Station / Painter (Valentine) is out now on iTunes and Spotify, where we’ve also added it to our <a href="https://open.spotify.com/user/joshmdalton/playlist/3kX8WBprbziibBBnX1HVp4" target="_blank">Crack in the Road Playlist.</a>
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Video: Låpsley – Painter (Valentine)

We’re now smack bang in the middle of summer and the airwaves and internet are clogged to the gunnels with summer synth pop jams and festival anthems. Yes, there’s a place for all that, an excuse to jump around in a field for a couple days with some strangers and copious pints of beer. But, this little gem that popped into my inbox a week or so ago is for when all the  craziness is done with and all the mud has been washed from your face. Have It All, the new track from U.K songstress Amy Milner is a gorgeous piano ballad, with subtly placed electronics scattered throughout, drawing you in and bringing you back to earth. Perfect for sitting in the back garden with (a lot less) beer in hand, staring at the sun.
Stream Have It All below:
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New: Amy Milner – Have It All

Opening with a gorgeously washed out synth, Strange Enough, the latest track from NYC’s VÉRITÉ falls away into into a prelude of the massive chorus that lies ahead. A subdued verse draws you in, her contemplative vocals soft and brooding and act as the centrepiece of it all. When the chorus hits, it really hits, exploding with a crushing snare as the production is amped up and everything really starts to get going. At just over 10,000 listens and the Hype Machine charts screaming her name, VÉRITÉ is certainly one to watch in the closing months of 2014.
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New: VÉRITÉ – Strange Enough

Fresh from a run of US shows with Ellie Goulding, LA-via-London quartet Lovelife return right in time for the stereotypically short-lived British summer. Bolder and more adventurous then ever before, Nova is undoubtedly one of this years most anthemic tracks, ready made for party playlists. Equal parts elegant and ferocious; showcasing the pinnacle of their songwriting thus far, it’s easy to see why they’re winning over fans in colossal numbers on both sides of the Atlantic. With official remixes for <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ic8U0MRHGM" target="_blank">Gaga</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnrfTPoYqKo" target="_blank">Imagine Dragons</a> under their belts, alongside a mightily impressive live show, Lovelife look set to grab hold of 2014 in a way that few bands have done thus far. Check out Nova below, and grab a download immediately from iTunes, as well as a free download of previous single, Angel.
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European Premiere: Lovelife – Nova

With a fan base rapidly expanding with each single they release, Macclesfield quintet <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RacingGlaciers" target="_blank">Racing Glaciers</a> are one of the most exciting UK bands around at this moment in time. Achieving an almost unprecedented amount of <a href="https://hypem.com/search/racing%20glaciers/1/" target="_blank">Hype Machine</a> success for a more traditional rock and roll outfit, alongside Radio 1 play for recent singles First Light and Moths, they’re a surefire tip for colossal success in 2015. Newest track, VHS, is another explosive outing, centred around a riff that would see Royal Blood turn green with envy, and their hearts-on-sleeves approach to lyricism; this may well signal the beginning of a more mainstream breakthrough. Check out VHS below and grab a free download from their <a href="https://www.musicglue.com/racing-glaciers/" target="_blank">Music Glue</a> page, plus keep your eyes peeled for their third EP, out 18 August.
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European Premiere: Racing Glaciers – VHS

Who sold their soul to write this? Goddamn. It’s not often that guitar-pop really hits the nail on the head enough to stick around, but Tell does just that. Vocals cut through enough to hook you in but not enough to dominate, and the hazy guitar feels as bright – but perhaps not as shimmering and luminescent – as a Wild Nothing track. Redspencer aren’t asking you to dance, but that’s exactly what you’ll wanna do. They aren’t asking to get stuck in your head either, but just try and kick ’em out. The Melbourne-based lads (previously of the Gold Coast) have written one of the most charming songs I’ve heard in a long time, and the video for it only bumps that charm up another level.
You can download Tell (plus some of their other tunes) for free from <a title="Redspencer - triple j Unearthed" href="https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/redspencer" target="_blank">their triple j Unearthed page</a>.
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Introducing: Redspencer

Denmark’s Ninna Lundberg cropped up last year with her stunning track, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ninnalundb/fall-out-of-love" target="_blank">Fall Out Of Love</a>, a blog and Hype Machine favourite. Now twelve months down the line, she’s lent her vocals to Do For Love, this fantastic first outing from South London’s jumpswim❀ (Jordan Randhawa). Recorded on relatively basic equipment, it’s a bold, soulful number, perfect for those lazy evenings. Check it out below.
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New: jumpswim❀ – Do For Love (Feat. Ninna Lundberg)

Competition time! (again). We’ve said it a few times over the last couple of days, but life sometimes gets in the way of us running the site. We’re all moving house at the moment, so pity/understanding would be very much appreciated right about now.
However, in an effort to keep you all on side, we’ve got 2 tickets to give away for this years’ Green Man Festival. The team I’m bringing have never actually been, but judging from the line-up and the slew of awards the festival has won, it’s likely to be incredible. We’ll be there to cover the festival with TEXT and PHOTOS, and we’re also hoping to post a few film work shops one of our guys is conducting with some kids of Green Man, (best crèche everrrr). We should have some interesting work to bring back to the world.
To enter, like us on Facebook using the thang below, then post a tune in the comments section below. It’s a music festival, let us share music and be happy.
Who says doing a write up for a competition is tedious???
If you don’t fancy your chances, you could always buy a ticket <a href="https://www.ticketline.co.uk/green-man#bio">HERE.</a> The festival runs from 14-17 August 2014.
For everyone else: GOOD LUCK!
Recommendations: Beirut, Neutral Milk Hotel, Sharon Van Etten, Caribou, The War On Drugs, Kurt Vile, Slint, Mac Demarco, Real Estate, Angel Olsen, Panda Bear, Sun Kil Moon, Fat White Family, The Field, Ben UFO, Mutual Benefit,  Luke Abbott & Flo Morrissey (not bad at all…)
<a class="e-widget" href="https://gleam.io/Zl5PY/win-2-tickets-to-greenman-festival" rel="nofollow">Win 2 Tickets To Greenman Festival!</a> 
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WIN 2 TICKETS TO GREEN MAN FESTIVAL

Well this is a little bit special. I’m not entirely sure who Mt. Si. are, listing their names on <a href="https://mtsi.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a> as Sarah, Jesse (presumably from Kisses) and Mike, the trio hail from LA, and already appear to be grabbing the attention of other musicians (followers on Soundcloud include, RAC and Kisses). Their two debut tracks, True and Oh are two of the finest slices of ethereal pop I’ve heard in recent times, lead by a stunning vocal line, underpinned by a sea of gorgeous textures. Trust me on this, Mt. Si. are going far. Check out both tracks below.
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Introducing: Mt. Si.

I’m a little late to this one, but boy am I glad I’ve found Leave the Planet. With only two tracks online, this London duo (Nathalia Bruno and Jack Milwaukee) create brooding and dark soundscapes with a hazy and washed out production that I can’t help but fall for. Between Bodies is a startling good effort, the guitars perched subtly above the gritty electronic landscape below. It really is a mesmerising sound.
(Thanks to <a href="https://www.theundscvrd.com/new-artists/leave-the-planet/">The Undscvrd</a> for putting me onto these guys).
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Introducing: Leave the Planet

Opening with a spine tinglingly gorgeous melodic line (Is it a synth or guitar? I dunno…) Midnight Hours, the latest track from the L.A via Melbourne outfit Wunder Wunder is a fantastic follow up to their previous track Coastline. The brainchild of Miami Horror’s Aaron Shanahan and Benjamin Plant, Wunder Wunder create psych infused pop that floats along dreamily, captivating you at every corner. Midnight Hours is the sound of a band really finding itself and honing their craft and has certainly wet my appetite for what’s to come.
Listen to Midnight Hours below and stream  their debut album over at <a href="https://www.thefader.com/2014/07/08/stream-wunder-wunder-everything-infinite/">Fader</a>:
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New: Wunder Wunder – Midnight Hours

Entering in a veil of mystery, Bad Sounds are a brand new duo from London that have immediately impressed with their debut track ‘Living Alone’. Channeling sounds akin to Tom Vek and Metronomy, there is, as you would expect, very little further information about the band currently available. However with the immediate support of BBC Radio 1, there is no doubt that we’re sure to find out more about Bad Sounds as their impact continues to ripple across the blogosphere and beyond.
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New: Bad Sounds – Living Alone

Austin is one of my favourite cities in the world. Not only does it now hold two weeks worth of SXSW memories and countless friends, but it’s also one of the top places for emerging music. Meenk, the project of May Rio, a graduate of <a href="https://www.may-rio.com/about/" target="_blank">Rhode Island School of Design</a>, is further proof that there’s something in the Texan water. Debut EP, Scamu Scau is a lyrical masterclass; across four tracks of a gloriously lo-fi nature, it’s full of a personality that’s cutting, sarcastic and brilliantly down to earth. From personal favourite, 19, to EP opener Reasons, it’s comfortably one of my favourite EPs of the year thus far. Check out all four tracks below, and pick up the EP on <a href="https://meenk.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>.
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Introducing: Meenk

I’ve just about got Primrose Hill out of my head when Marie Naffah comes out with another toe-tapping tune, David Gray. She wrote this unconventional love song after she was at an eponymous gig in London. It looks at the way “certain songs will forever remind you of a particular person and make you so happy that you feel like you could burst”. There’s nothing soppy about this track, it’s full of summer and life, so grab your shoes and join her in dancing at the hardware store.. or in the park with some beers.
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New: Marie Naffah- David Gray

We’ve been avid followers of FAMY for the past couple of years now, so it’s heartwarming to see the London outfit finally reach a position in which they can announce the details of their debut album. Entitled ‘We Fam Econo’, the album is preceded by the fantastic ‘Ava’ and the most recently released ‘Ava Epilogue’. As the titles suggest, both tracks work best in succession and the videos for both provide an essential visual insight into the emotional intensity embedded in the sound of FAMY.
Released on the 8th September through Transgressive Records, ‘We Fam Econo’ is available to <a href="https://www.musicglue.com/famyboys/" target="_blank">pre-order now</a> (check out all those snazzy options!)
FAMY UK Tour
30th July – The Lexington, London
22nd September – Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham
23rd September – The Louisiana, Bristol
24th September – The Hope, Brighton
26th September – Soup Kitchen, Manchester
27th September – Town Hall Crypt, Middlesbrough
28th September – Portland Arms, Cambridge
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News: FAMY Announce Debut Album

In the mad rush of the past few weeks, this new gem from EXROYALE slipped under the radar. Their second track, a follow up to the brilliant Give It Up, it’s not a colossal deviation from their almost indie-pop by numbers sound, but it certainly shows that there’s few around who nail this sound quite as well as they do. Check out Without It below.
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New: EXROYALE – Without It

Oh man, Saint Pepsi. Not only is this one of the funkiest tracks of the year, it’s also a rather nice surprise to hear the Long Island producer utilising his vocal chords (singing, obviously). Fiona Coyne, his first release for esteemed label Carpark Records, is possibly his most complete outing to date, and certainly marks a step in a different direction for the twenty one year old. Check it out below.
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New: Saint Pepsi – Fiona Coyne

Glorious summers aren’t complete without those infectious dance tracks that could play all night without end in sight. A strong contender for this summer’s dance floor anthem is Armanio (Demo) by Rude. Who they are or where they’re from is beyond me, but does it really matter? The cool synths and robotic melodies are refreshingly nostalgic. This isn’t one of those “soaring anthems” that you blast with the windows down though, instead they’re better suited for a day of rollerblading on the Miami coast. Sunshine and vibes are eminent with this track…
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New: Rude – Armanio (Demo)

There’s little info around by London duo Formation right now, save from this tellingly short <a href="https://www.abeano.com/formation-waves/" target="_blank">interview</a> conducted by Abeano (thanks for the heads up) and their Basquiat inspired <a href="https://www.frmtn.com/" target="_blank">website</a>. Identical twin brothers, their debut release, Waves, was recorded in their mum’s living room, an intoxicatingly repetitive jam, in keeping with the current influx of modern, cooler-than-cooler odd-pop flooding the blogs. Check out Waves below.
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Introducing: Formation

Dexter Tortiorello is a music producer and maker, originally hailing from Chicago of the Northern American continent. In the last few years he has lost his job, lived on little more than a solar powered laptop with Ableton Pro in a remote Hawaiian jungle, started two different musical projects, and now he’s reached our tiny little island for the 2014 Camden Crawl.
Dexter is visiting us to promote his second full record as Dawn Golden, entitled <a title="Dawn Golden Still Life on SoundCloud" href="https://soundcloud.com/dawn-golden/sets/dawn-golden-still-life-exclusive" target="_blank">Still Life</a>, and on this warm Friday afternoon it seems like a suitable time to mull over what might possibly one day become a milestone for the humble American.

A first visit to the UK?
I actually played a show here in 2011 at Madame Jojo’s which was a lot of fun. It was a White Heat show with <a title="Halls on SoundCloud" href="https://soundcloud.com/halls" target="_blank">Halls</a>, who is really fantastic. I think I only realised after that he’d done a load of really big shit and I really should have been opening for him in London.
So I read about your trip to Hawaii, was there something deliberate you were trying to do with the <a title="Houses on Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/housesofficial" target="_blank">Houses</a> project there or was it a wholly personal endeavour?
It certainly started as a personal endeavour, as Houses only fully formed when I got home and began recording everything I had been working on out there. But the experience certainly influenced that first Houses record a lot, it was the first time I’d been off my own continent and to be in the middle of a jungle running on almost nothing was an unreal experience for me.
I had been fired from my job, sitting around and quickly going into the psyche of a generally unemployed person where you get into a routine of sleeping in and then doing nothing. So I decided I didn’t want to settle into that too much. I felt it happening and had to break out of it somehow.
When I came back, I found that I was in a really good head-space and wanted to make music that was a little bit more upbeat than I had before. So I did that, and immediately withdrew back into dark shit, which was when I wrote the first Dawn Golden EP (Blow).
To me your music is always striving lyrically towards a real human experience, whilst alongside that the electronic tracking and mixing adds a layer of abstraction. Is that always how you’ve approached writing music?
That’s definitely how I’ve always approached writing lyrics to my songs. I have a really hard time writing vague lyrics, and I’m envious of people who can write in that way, as if they’re writing about a feeling rather than an event – because it seems like people connect with it more. I just can’t write like that – I write about personal things from my life, and I’ve noticed particularly recently that it’s all very structured, almost as if I’m telling a story.
In terms of music, I used to just play acoustic guitar and sing – I’d write very sad and dark songs. There’s this guy who just released a record that really reminds of the stuff I used to write but I can’t for the life of me remember his name.
At this point Dexter rifles through his iPhone for a few moments before giving up. We decide to use the example of Josh T Pearson instead.
I remember playing SXSW one year, and he came on after us and I think it was his first show in Austin in ten years. So this guy comes out with a big beard, crazy eyes, a guitar and these super long fingernails, and he just starts plucking away. I stood there through the whole set and I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He was crying during one of his songs, and I just thought it was one of the most engaging things I’d ever seen.
But that’s what I used to try to do, though I wasn’t as good of an instrumentalist as he is, or singer for that matter.
Not an easy person to emulate, mind. It’s funny as you talk about writing style, I discovered your projects through a series of diaries you wrote on <a title="Portals Music" href="https://www.portalsmusic.com/" target="_blank">Portals</a>. Did you find it easier to write on the page first, and then decide you wanted to put it to your music?
I think so, I went to college for a short time and went for a creative non-fiction writing degree. It was all very arts school but it’s what I wanted to do for some time. I decided to quit fairly quickly, and I began working on music almost straight after.
Those Portals kids all have their own different blogs and together I think they are completely responsible for me having a music career. Dave Sutton from <a title="Stadiums & Shrines" href="https://stadiumsandshrines.com/" target="_blank">Stadiums & Shrines</a> was the first person ever to blog about my music, which at the time was the coolest thing I’d ever seen – ‘oh my god someone I don’t know wrote about this thing I did’.
I think I found Portals through Awd Castles.
Ah yes he has a new soundcloud blog which is unbelievable. All those kids are so dear to my heart, they’re doing something really cool and I hope one day soon they get a cult following – their writing is really good and their taste in music is impeccable.
Is your music intrinsically pessimistic, or is that unfair?
I don’t think it’s pessimistic. I think at first glance this Dawn Golden record is almost entirely dark, and there’s not a great deal of light at the end of the tunnel in terms of lyrics. But musically I try to brighten things up with synthesisers and drums. I’ve always loved bands that could do that, like The Smiths and Joy Division, where you’re dancing to a song but if you decided to listen to the lyrics you’d find it really dark.
What are the differences you’ve noticed going from Chicago to Los Angeles, and perhaps thinking back to your time in Hawaii – do you consider cities a stimulating environment or constraining?
I think both are very important. Going from Chicago to Los Angeles was very interesting, I’m still now realising how completely different those two cities are from each other. The people couldn’t be any more different, and the crazy thing about touring is being in a new city every night and seeing how different everyone is. And then you realise when you go back home that your own city has a similarly distinctive personality and atmosphere.
I fucking hate Rochester, New York. The people are weird, the clubs suck. This will be going out on the internet, but it’s fine – I don’t ever want to play there again.
Cities like that really make me really appreciate Chicago because there’s actually a lot of character and culture, and I find the young movements there really interesting but I’d say coming to Los Angeles I’ve realised how grounded a lot of the kids in Chicago are. As you see on the TV there a load of superficial people in LA, who would genuinely rather look the part of something than actually be doing it, because they just want to be an image, go to a bar and get laid. But still overall I think there’s more talented kids to work with in Los Angeles than Chicago – in what I want to do at least. If I wanted to make a noise band I’d probably go back to Chicago.
Are you sticking around for the festival?
I’m definitely sticking around for Dirty Beaches and I’m definitely sticking around for Atari Teenage Riot because they were one of my favourite bands growing up. I don’t know who else is playing tonight, or where. I have nothing to do tomorrow so maybe I should just head back down here.
You should. Thanks Dexter.
Dawn Golden can be found on <a title="Dawn Golden Facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/dawngoldenmusic" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.

Interview: Dawn Golden

Having well and truly made their name with a feature and co-produce on Drake’s 2013 world-dominating single, Hold On, We’re Going Home, elusive Toronto duo Majid Jordan (Majid Al Maskati and Jordan Ullman) step out of the shadows with their first solo release. Although having previously released under the moniker Good People, A Place Like This marks their first proper foray under their new name. Dropping it through Drake’s OVO Sound label imprint, A Place Like This is much less chart-hit, far more slow burning production masterclass. Layered around a beat that would make The Weeknd turn green with envy, it’s a formidable debut, and features on their forthcoming debut EP of the same title, out 22 July.
Tracklisting:
1. Forever 
2. All I Do 
3. Her 
4. U 
5. A Place Like This
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New: Majid Jordan – A Place Like This

Ocean Calling (Sophie Wilkie) draws the best elements of M83 (over the top, movie ready crescendos) and Grimes (more intimate, poetic lyricism) to illustrious effect. Her newest track White Light is another epic, yet delightfully pop-aware number, perfectly suited to the spacious, picturesque environments which the majority of her photos document. Check out White Light below.
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New: Ocean Calling – White Light

I was hugely into mid-00s American pop-punk, or as it was often affectionately and incorrectly referred to at the time, emo. Fall Out Boy, All American Rejects, early-Paramore etc., you name it, I travelled the length of the country to see these bands. Whilst it’s a genre that I don’t find myself swaying back into too much now, the hearts on sleeves energy still holds a certain place in my heart, and this next band strike pretty hot. Sure, it’s perhaps the most un-CitR like track I’ve ever posted on these pages, but maybe that’s a testament to just how well Irish duo Greywind nail their debut track.
So the Paramore influence stands head and shoulders above the rest; hell, if you’re looking for electro-pop duos crafting fluttering, charming melodies then you should probably stop reading right about now. Admittedly, I’m far from an expert when it comes to this style of music, however it’s the sort of thing I could imagine hitting the Kerrang and Rock Sound crossover. Greywind are siblings Steph and Paul O’Sullivan. Check it out Afterthoughts below.
<iframe src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/157304336&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Introducing: Greywind

Opening in a wash of ambient guitar, Welcome to Hartheim, the second single from Manchester’s Hartheim is 3 minutes of hauntingly anthemic pop. It cuts straight to the heart with chiming guitars and a powerful, though utterly vulnerable vocal performance. It dies away, leaving you with only a minimal guitar line and falsetto to clutch  on to, before its devastatingly emotive climax that sees wretching vocals tower above the guitars crunch.
Listen below:
<iframe src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/154027721&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe>

New: Hartheim – Welcome to Hartheim

(Photo – Olivia Lee)
To The Wedding is the moniker of San Francisco based multi-instrumentalist Lauren Grubb. As the drummer of Minipop, this is Grubb’s platform to create beautifully haunting melodrama, perfect for the widescreen. First offering Silver Currents is a slow burner, bubbling away until a seriously 90′s leaning guitar outro, channeling the vibes of Mazzy Star an Slowdive. Grubb’s voice is the centerpiece of it all, emotive and crooning, drawing you in and leaving you completely encapsulated for the full five minutes and fifty seconds.
Stream Silver Currents below:
<iframe src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/154822631&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe>

Introducing: To The Wedding

Lifted from their forthcoming sophomore album, This Is All Yours, Left Hand Free is the second taster we’ve heard from British trio Alt-J. More of a development on their sound than lead single, Hunger of the Pine, it’s groovier and dare I say it, even verging upon ‘rock’ territory, clearly taking props from Floyd and The Rolling Stones. Check it out below.
<iframe src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/157635220&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" frameborder="no" scrolling="no"></iframe>

New: Alt-J – Left Hand Free

New: DID – Skills

Rapidly rising FL duo JUDE. may only have two tracks to their name so far, but they’ve already become one of the most talked about new ‘blog’ artists of the year. With their Lorde-esque debut Crystals clocking up 60k plays on Soundcloud, followed up by the equally as alluring, Jaded, the two piece have released visuals for the aforementioned Crystals. In keeping with their dark, ever-so mysterious sound, shot entirely in black and white, it’s a worthy further development of ‘JUDE.’.
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Rt7dbavNyDk" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Video: JUDE. – Crystals

We’ve made no secret of the fact life has somewhat got in the way of Crack in the Road being as active as normal.
We’ve made no secret…but we ain’t apologising. How many of you spent last week camped in an abandoned château in the middle of Belgium, just two miles down the road from “Nowhere”? Now try and get an internet connection there….
Anyway, we wanted to do something to say thanks for bearing with us both during the quiet period and our recent/ongoing development work.
So like the guys from Canyanero, Sennheiser approached us and supplied us with a set of top-of-the-range Momentum headphones to give away. It’s part of an eponymously titled campaign they’re running at present, which is bizarrely fronted by Imogen Heap (in 2014? Really?).
I promised to be nice and not rail on the campaign, as that’s sort of the deal you agree to in these things. It could have been hard – a press release that features the word “paradigm”? Really? – if it were not for the fact the cans themselves are actually worthy of all this hype.
The sound quality is probably the closest to perfect you’ve heard, whilst the design is full of neat touches that make using them pretty damn slick. If you’re interested in learning more, a thorough breakdown of the headphones can be found <a href="https://www.whathifi.com/review/sennheiser-momentum">over at What HiFi</a> (five stars, yo).
In short, I’m actually a pretty big fan of these and, being retailed at £259.99, getting a pair for absolutely free is not to be sniffed at.
So, the competition. All the instructions are below and the closing date is Friday 25th July. We reserve the right to change the date/close it at short notice blah blah. You know the score.
We’ve lots in the works, so thank you for bearing with us the past few weeks.
And remember, we love you all.
 
<a class="e-widget" href="https://gleam.io/siPvK/sennheiser-momentum-headphone-competition" rel="nofollow">Sennheiser Momentum headphone competition</a> 
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