NEW MUSIC: MAXIMO PARK - BRAIN CELLS

The North-East's finest five-piece Maximo Park are back, burrowing their way into the public consciousness with new track 'Brain Cells', the first offering from fifth LP Too Much Information due for release next February. "Burrowing" is very much the operative word here; 'Brain Cells' is not necessarily what you would expect from a three-minute slice of MP goodness, but it still possesses the far-too-catchy hook quality that the Park have perfected. Perhaps the closest cousin of this track is The National Health's 'Hips And Lips'; murky electronics dominate but unlike 'Hips And Lips' there is no release of pressure here.

Maximo Park

NEW MUSIC: SBTRKT - IMO

Check out the latest snippet to come from producer Aaron Jerome aka SBTRKT. After the exuberant eponymous debut, this track brings with it a temperance of sorts; the morning after the night before. The effect is one of hypnotic calm, a soothing balm for tired ears. 

NEW MUSIC: ARCADE FIRE - REFLEKTOR

About a month ago, mysterious signs like the one above started appearing in cities all over the world. Many deduced that this was a pointer towards the much-anticipated fourth Arcade Fire record, and this was confirmed last week with a short but sweet trailer indicating some kind of unveiling for the 9th September. This unveiling has since surfaced as new single 'Reflektor' courtesy of a leak on Saturday but the leak by no means ruins today's events; the track can now be heard on justareflektor.com accompanied by an impressive interactive element which turns your smartphone or mouse into a 'reflektor'. This interactive video, directed by Vincent Morisset, is a really interesting vehicle for the imagery of 'Reflektor', even if it induces a kind of motion-sickness at times. It is a fun toy to play with, if you have finished running around your neighbourhood shouting "New Arcade Fire! James Murphy! David Bowie!" at the top of your lungs. The hype that has always seemed to surround this band has always been absolutely proportionate to their music, and this trend looks set to continue. Hopefully 'Reflektor' can satiate our appetites until the 29th October, when LP number 4 is to be released.

Just A Reflektor

Arcade Fire

VIDEO: VUKOVI - THICK SKINNED

After the release of latest EP 'Sweet Swears' last October, Scottish quartet Vukovi have dropped a video of 'Thick Skinned' live in session for our delectation. 'Thick Skinned' is arguably the strongest track on 'Sweet Swears' and this video showcases not only the track's irresistible appeal but also the raw energy that has earned the band such a positive reputation on the road. This is nearly four minutes of indefatigable and chameleon-like rock; the band cite such disparate influences as Florence Welch, Deftones and Foals, and all of these influences can be located within the many layers of 'Thick Skinned'.  With a new live session soon to be unleashed, don't expect Vukovi to run out of steam any time soon. 

Vukovi

VIDEO: EVERYTHING EVERYTHING - COUGH COUGH

Check out the video here

Here's the first offering from Everything Everything since 2010's Man Alive. It takes a few listens to fully dissect this mammoth but it is well worth the effort. Irresistable beats and trademark eccentric vocals mean that this track will stick in your head for the foreseeable. 

VIDEO: THE KILLERS - RUNAWAYS

Check it out here

A slow burner of a video, this builds up to a suitably epic ending for a song that sounds like the love-child of "Sam's Town" and Flowers' solo record "Flamingo". It gets better every time I hear it.