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Monday 30 January 2012

**ONES TO WATCH**

By Dave Rowswell
It's fair to say that we definitely aren't suffering from a lack of cool-looking London bands at the moment. Everyone and their hipster mother seem to be donning oversized 80s jumpers and 'ironic' NHS glasses and making equally cool music together, so what should the lover of leather jackets and a decent pair of dm's do to stand out from the hipster crowd.

Well the most obvious thing to do is just make music so ridiculously awesome that no one even notices what you look like. That's what London-based trio, Skinny Girl Diet, decided to do and it's a formula that works  pretty well for them. Taking advice from predecessors such as Hole, Babes in Toyland, Sonic Youth and Nirvana, Skinny Girl Diet make primal, no wave grunge that demand your attention.

Skinny Girl Diet are Delilah Holliday (vocals and guitar), Ursula Holliday (vocals and drums), and Amelia Cutler (bass). It would be easy to link the girls to the Riot Grrrl movement and its recent resurgence but the band take as much inspiration from bands like Dinosaur Jr and The Ramones as they do Bikini Kill and L7.

Their songs are like mini hallucinations; a departure from the real world to a murky underworld full of creatures from your dreams and your worst nightmares. 'Mermaid Veins' is a druggy, 90s lament that throws you headfirst into hallucinations about metamorphosis and rebirth like a musical interpretation of the works of Kafka. 'Eyes That Paralyze' is a no wave, punky song that hypnotises you into submission with its fuzzed out guitars and girlish, reverbed vocals and 'Sunburn' is a slow, woozy number that has the cryptic refrain "You're sunny but you're not warm."

Still in the infant stages of their band, Skinny Girl Diet have already accomplished a lot in their year together and will go on to do so much more. Rumour has it they are currently putting together an EP for release later this year and also playing various gigs in London. Skinny Girl Diet are a raw, visceral band that are becoming a vital part of the London gig scene. See them in their prime while you can.


For more information: skinnygirldietband.tumblr.com

Tuesday 24 January 2012

Blood Red Shoes Announce Third Album


Everyone's favourite boy / girl grunge duo Blood Red Shoes have announced the release of their third album today.

In Time To Voices will be released on 26 March 2012, the tracklisting is below, and is currently available to pre-order via iTunes. Tickets for their April and May UK tour go on sale on Friday 27 January.

You can listen to the first single from their new album Cold on Blood Red Shoes' site and on the video below.

Tracklisting:
1. In Time To Voices
2. Lost Kids
3. Cold
4. Two Dead Minutes
5. The Silence and the Drones
6. Night Light
7. Je Me Perds
8. Stop Kicking
9. Slip Into Blue
10. Down Here in the Dark
11. Seven Years



www.bloodredshoes.co.uk

Santigold Announces New Album


The Queen of genre-bending, day-glo wearing pop Santigold is back with a new album and a new video.

The long-awaited follow up to 2008's Santogold will be called Master of My Make Believe. The new album is due for release this spring on Downtown and Atlantic Records.

As a mini teaser, fans can download the first single from the new record from Santigold's site. If that weren't enough here's a video for the new single which features animated mermaids and Santigold wearing a crayola crown.



For more information: www.santigold.com