likesounds.com

I make no secret of the fact that I love Dog is Dead so to get the opportunity again to shout about how good I think they are is bliss. You agree, they’re awesome, right?

This is the band performing ‘Young’ at the Splendour Festival, Nottingham on July 24th.

I absolutely implore you to download ‘Young’ and the rest of the Your Childhood EP from iTunes here: http://bit.ly/iuT9Rm

https://www.facebook.com/dogisdead
http://twitter.com/dog_is_dead
http://dogisdead.co.uk

The sad loss of Amy Winehouse today is still sinking in. Amy’s life was not wasted, as some might say. She shared her gift for music with the world and we lapped it up.

These are my favourite songs from both her Mercury nominated debut album, Frank, and the immortal Back To Black.

Amy Winehouse – Love Is A Losing Game

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Amy Winehouse – Fuck Me Pumps

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Arctic Monkeys – You Know I’m No Good

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

5 great tracks to download from No Monster Club, Two Wounded Birds, Tiny Ruins, Ganglians & Stealing Sheep.

Just a quick note to say that Laura Marling’s third album is coming out in September and will be titled “A Creature I Don’t Know”. Here’s a preview video from her YouTube page:

Arctic Monkeys had kept fans guessing for an entire year about where they would go after their surprisingly fast paced second album Favourite Worst Nightmare. While others waxed lyrical about a Josh Homme influenced third album, few predicted that Alex would move away from Arctic Monkeys and release an album with fellow conspirator Miles Kane.

I’d seen Alex knocking about with Miles at the smaller shows that his band, The Rascals, had been putting on. I’d seen The Little Flames (Miles’ former band with Eva Petersen, Greg Mighall and Joe Edwards, the latter two also in The Rascals) a few times so we knew already of Miles’ thick scouse accent. The surprise came when I discovered how well it sat with the Alex’s Sheffield twang.

While the production felt, at times, like the creation of Joe Meek the real charm in The Age Of The Understatement was the crafted strings created by The London Metropolitan Orchestra (conducted by Owen Pallett and recorded by Steve McGlaughlin). That said, the role of James Ford in the creation of this album is not to be played down either.

Ford’s drumming was at the heart of this album and, when combined with his production, conjured up a link straight back to the pre-beatles 50′s and 60′s. Look up Johnny Kidd and the Pirates and anything else Clem Cattini might have worked on and you’ll see what I mean.

The album went straight into the charts at #1, The Rascals released their self titled debut album in June of the same year and Arctic Monkeys went on to release a QOTSA-esque album.

In 2011, Miles Kane has revealed his solo album and Arctic Monkeys have teased us with Brick By Brick from their fourth album Suck It And See due out on June 6th. A few people muse the likeliness of another album but I think The Age Of The Understatement has earned its place in history and a follow up would mar its success.

My hour long commute into St Pancras has been quite pleasant this week, owing largely to the new EP by Nottingham band Dog Is Dead. Just sit back, click play and become immersed in a bubble created by this sumptuous record. This band have crafted harmonies so rich that when they come it’s the same feeling that takes over you when, after a long and incessantly tedious day, you get home and slump into your favourite chair and breathe a deep sigh of relief.

River Jordan featured on our Mixtape XV and is still online to be downloaded, cherished and nurtured. You can watch their set for BBC Introducing on the BBC Glastonbury mini site.

Your Childhood EP is available from all good record shops and Rough Trade and Amazon.co.uk

Call It What You Want is reminiscent of the 90′s but in the best way possible and Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls) will remind you of something you may hear on an advertisement for an Apple product or some kind of really exciting health cover. It’s not tacky though; it’s just really great electro-pop.

I didn’t think it was possible to like The Horrors any more than I did. Then comes this:

This track is gorgeous and surprising in equal measure and is a preview of new material from their 3rd album, Skying, which is out on July 26th.

This track will float out across the Eden Project in June when the band support Primal Scream. The band are on my a-list for Glastonbury too when they play the festival on Saturday June 24th.

The Horrors – Still Life.mp3

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

www.thehorrors.co.uk

For those of you that don’t know, Lounge on the Farm is possibly the best “small” festival in England, and it’s one that, ever since it’s creation back in 2006, has been steadily gaining a momentum that’s pushing it further into the limelight (it recently featured in NME’s 2011 festival guide, and is held in high regard by such publications as The Guardian and The Times).

This year see’s the most diverse line up ever to grace the fields of Merton Farm in Canterbury, with three headliners that couldn’t be more different if they tried in the shape of The Streets, Ellie Goulding and Echo and the Bunnymen. Other acts on show at this years festival are Devlin, Cornershop, Katy B, Everything Everything, The Vaccines, Example and Jamie Woon.

After last years’ success, Moshi Moshi records return to showcase some of their fantastic roster of artists, including such hot talent as Two Wounded Birds, Big Deal and Eagulls.

A stream of Likesounds favourites including Tom Williams & The Boat, Johnny Flynn, Slow Club, Pete & The Pirates, Dog is Dead and Pete Roe are all set to make appearances over the weekend.

I would also recommend having a look at Fixers, Summer Camp and Dananananaykroyd, who are also playing the festival.

But then, if music isn’t your thing, the festival has everything else covered. Specialist stages host comedy and theatre while the “Little Lounge”, an area specifically to entertain the kids, lets your kids try beat-boxing lessons and “baby yoga” whatever that might entail.

Lounge on the Farm seems to have it all, but surely there’s a high price for all this enjoyment? Well, don’t be alarmed, as weekend tickets are only £111 (inc fees) for adults and £87.75 (inc fees) for children between 13 and 17. Kids under 12 go free. That’s not bad for a weekend of great entertainment in the glorious Kent coutryside, right? You could do a lot worse.

Lounge on the Farm takes place from the 8th to the 10th July.
www.loungeonthefarm.co.uk

Brand new mixtape featuring Arctic Monkeys, Cloud Control, Friendly Fires, Wild Beasts & Pete and the Pirates. Share. Enjoy.