STREAM | Hear the week’s best new tracks (November 18, 2012)

November 18, 2012 by Alan Pedder in Blog

Fiona Apple Taken from the soundtrack to Judd Apatow’s new Jon Brion-scored movie ‘This Is 40′, ‘Dull Tool’ is a cutting and chaotic track that shows Fiona Apple (facebook) at her acerbic best with a sweary, taunting kiss-off to a false ex-lover: “You don’t kiss when you kiss / you don’t fuck when you fuck / you don’t say what you mean / you don’t talk loud enough”

Caitlin Rose ‘No One To Call’ is the first taste of The Stand-In, the second album from Nashville’s Caitlin Rose (facebook / twitter), out February 25 on Names Records. Describing the album as “my first attempt at a high kick”, Rose has worked closely with her bandmates Jeremy Fetzer and Spencer Cullum to give her songs a boldness and vigour that suits her take on modern country music to a tee.

Holly Herndon San Francisco-based avant-garde composer / producer / teacher / museum curator Holly Herndon (facebook / twitter) releases her debut album, Movement, on November 26 via RVNG Intl. Closing track ‘Dilato’ is a more experimental track than the recently featured ‘Fade’ and features the baritone vocal talents of Bruce Rameker of Meredith Monk’s Vocal Ensemble. His contribution consists of a single intonation of the song’s title, which is then effected and altered to unrecognisable lengths as the six-minute-plus track unfurls.

Lady Lamb The Beekeeper ‘Rooftop’ is the lead track from Ripely Pine, the debut album proper from Aly Spaltro aka Lady Lamb The Beekeeper (facebook / twitter), due February 18 through Ba Da Bing Records. The bedroom demos she’s been turning out over the past two years have all been leading up to this, and ‘Rooftop’ doesn’t disappoint with Spaltro’s dazzling guitar work in full effect.

Marissa Nadler & Angel Olsen A dream vocal pairing, this lo-fi cover by Angel Olsen (facebook) and Marissa Nadler (facebook / twitter) of Richard & Linda Thompson’s classic ‘Withered & Died’ is being teased as a glimpse of a new covers collaboration between the two women that will hopefully see the light of day next year. Olsen and Nadler both have form for doing wonderful things with old songs (see Angel’s sadly out-of-print Lady Of The Waterpark tape and Marissa’s two covers albums for the evidence) so colour us very excited.

Paradise Nedelle Torrisi has recorded under many different banners since her 2003 debut Republic Of Two: Nedelle, Nedelle & Thom, Cryptacize, and now Paradise (facebook) – a new band project that takes its name from Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Kubla Khan. ’I Love Thousands Every Summer’ is the first track to arrive under this latest guise and is a collaboration with Kenneth Gilmore of Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, who plays and produces. The song is out now on 7″ through Thin Wrist Recordings, b/w ‘Psychic Returns’; get it via Bandcamp.

St. Vincent / Feist Annie Clark and Leslie Feist never fail to ignite our enthusiasm, even when linked with – let’s be honest – things we have not a scrap of interest in, like The Twilight Saga. Both women have standout contributions to the newly released soundtrack to the final film in the series, ‘Breaking Dawn Part 2′: St. Vincent’s ‘The Antidote’ returning her to the realm of dirty, fuzzy rock that she naturally excels in, and Feist’s ‘Fire In The Water’ going down the flickering, heartbreak ballad route.

Veronica Falls On their upcoming album Waiting For Something To Happen (Bella Union; February 4), London’s Veronica Falls (facebook / twitter) have dropped their more gothic pop tendencies – which were slight at best anyway – in favour of searching, coming-of-age pop that looks set to push them further up the ladder of notoriety. Teaser track ‘Teenage’ is all about a love that never quite comes to fruition, wrapped up in a polished, jangle-rock nugget that’s a logical step forward from last year’s debut.

Lizzie & The Yes Men Lizzie Holdforth and co.’s self-described ‘Tarantino surf-pop’ continues to intrigue with new single ‘Deserts’, out December 10. Where its predecessor ‘The Broadwalk’ cantered and whistled for attention, ‘Deserts’ finds Lizzie & The Yes Men (facebook / twitter) on more smouldering form (“I need someone to hold me tight / I’m hotter than a desert fire”).

Mega Thomas This new solo project from Southampton’s Meg Thomas (facebook / twitter), formerly of Thomas Tantrum, is coming along nicely we think. ‘In The Shower’ is the latest demo from her ongoing collaboration with producer Dave Pen (Birdpen/Archive) to find its way onto Soundcloud, and shows off her new “industrial dream-pop” vibe to atmospheric effect. Mega Thomas makes her solo live debut supporting Glasvegas for three dates of their December tour – all dates here.

FREE MP3: Mega Thomas, ‘In The Shower’ (demo)

Katey Brooks Commissioned by BBC Radio Bristol for Children In Need 2012, ‘I Hope You See The Sun’ finds Katey Brooks (facebook / twitter) reaching out to the disadvantaged in the rich and reassuring tones we’ve become accustomed to over the years. This recording was taped live at the radio station’s fundraiser for Bristol Black Carers on November 15. To donate to Children In Need you can phone 0345 733 2233, visit bbc.co.uk/pudsey or go to any bank, building society or Post Office in the UK.