When was the last time you enjoyed an accordion?

I really don't know what to think about this band. Yes, they do resemble Yann Tiersen a lot, but who says that is a bad thing? The thing is... it is almost as they had seen Le Fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain (Amelie of Montmartre) and just decided,"Hey guys, that was a great movie, and what about that score? Let's make some music for the sequel!"

Detektivbyran (The Detective bureau) are a three-piece band from Gothenburg that deserves your immediate attention. I saw them playing at the Emmaboda festival (Swedish site) last summer and that was one wonderful concert. The festival takes place literary in the middle of nowhere with nothing but woods surrounding you and the small town of Emmaboda. They were playing one evening at the smallest stage in front of a small audience but managed to create a great atmosphere. Everyone just stood there quietly, listening to the music. They are really well coordinated on stage and the melodies just seem to be floating in the air totally in sync and everything just fits perfectly together.

I reckon this is music for traveling in the evening. Staring out the window of a coach, or maybe just riding a bike on empty streets with nothing but street lights and late night strollers. And seriously, would you ever think that you would enjoy an accordion in any piece of music? Well, if you enjoy Yann Tiersen (Or Amelie) you should really check this out. And vice versa. Happy, traveling!

Detektivbyran - E18
Detektivbyran - Dansbanan
+ Myspace

- Eric

The Golden Rule

Thank Devendra Banhart. Since the freak-folk superstar made his mark in 2004 with the critically acclaimed, mish-mash ode to Tiny Tim and hippie harmony, Rejoicing in the Hands, the long-haired child has spawned an entire subculture of wavy-maned musicians intent on undermining mainstream pop's artistic assembly line. I'm not complaining, and neither should you.


The most interesting and perhaps unfamiliar of these offspring is Brooklyn, New York's very own Golden Animals. Not surprisingly, this duo - comprised of mop-topped guitarist Tommy Eisner and sun-kissed drummer Linda Beecroft - is the physical embodiment of the neo-psychedelic movement: all wild hair, rustically romantic garb and sepia-toned mysticism. Better than that, though, Golden Animals signifies a slight stylistic shift from the Banhart/Joanna Newsomian approach we've grown accustomed to. With eclectic instrumentation, kick-up-your-heels lyricism and jaunty harmonizing, Eisner and Beecroft seem to be crafting a personal patchwork of the New Weird American sound.

Golden Animals easily fits in with acts like Baltimore's Entrance, the lanky bluesman obsessed with Robert Johnson and the dark arts. But the band fares better when not compared to anyone at all; I prefer to simply let the music speak for itself. It articulates volumes through rural rhythms and a handful of carefully chosen, delightfully witty words.

All these alluring attributes aside, Golden Animals is still under-the-radar. The pair's self-released EP Electric Moonlight Garden has not met a record deal yet and, as such, isn't available for mass purchase. You can, however, enjoy the three marvelous tracks found below and keep an eye out for new material via the couple's Myspace. If you live in Brooklyn or any of its immediate surrounding areas, you might be lucky enough to catch one of the band's lively monthly happenings, better known as the "Butterfly Cabaret." In the coming months keep an eye out for Golden Animals's limited edition 7" vinyl collaboration with former Women and Children member Jamie Moon, as well as a debut album, which is tenatively set for a summer 2007 unveiling.

In the meantime be patient. Lest we forget, grassroots efforts are the foundation upon which the folk generation - and this blog - were built.

Big Red Rose
I'm Aboard, Take Me Home
I'll Remember You Long
+Myspace

Keep bootscootin',
Amy

You've been good to me, baby.

First off, I would like to congratulate my new writers on a fantastic first week. Being that WNR is my child, it was hard to hand my baby over to a new staff of sitters. But they done good. REAL good. Hell, I think they're even doing better than me.

Well, enough of my e-patting their backs... time to move on with my weekly dose for you readers.


Who came first? The Shout Out Louds or Shout Out Out Out Out? Although the name leaves room for confusion when scrolling through your playlist, the sound definitely won't. 2 drummers, 4 bass players, 2 samplers and 5 synthesizers combined with a couple of vocoders... and voila! This infectious electro-disco-punk-house sextet has you moving with their wittily titled songs.

Procrastinator's Fight Song has become my new theme song, and I'm excited that these guys are touring in March. I mean, just check out their setup in this video... the 2 drummers are stacked, one on top of the other. If you're interested in checking them out too, here are their dates:

3/8: Boston @ Paradise Lounge w/Cassette
3/9: NYC @ Southpaw w/120 Days
3/10: NYC @ Mercury Lounge w/120 Days
3/11: Philly @ Johnny Brenda's w/120 Days
3/13: Houston @ Mink w/120 Days
3/14-17: SXSW
3/19: Las Vegas @ Beauty Bar w/120 Days
3/20: LA @ Safari Sam's w/Boys Noize, Para One, Foreign Islands & Chromeo

From Not Saying/Just Saying (buy it here):
Procrastinator's Fight Song
Chicken Soup For The Fuck You
Self Loathing Rulz
+ Myspace



Wiretree's sound is so big, your ears would have a hard time believing it was the work of just one man - Kevin Peroni. Citing influences such as The La's, ELO, Brendan Benson, and Sparklehorse... his music has a twist of Elliot Smith meets Matthew Sweet with a touch of The Shins. Kevin's voice is just simply divine.

From Bouldin (buy it here):
Big Coat
Notion
+ Myspace

And last but not least...


New Young Pony Club have a new release coming out soon, and I can't wait. I'm sure you can't either, so here is the new single (set for February release) along with a Phones remix to get you hyped.

The Bomb
The Bomb (Phones Edit)
+ Myspace

Love,
Lady Byrd

Well, Hello...

I'm Duncan, the last of the swarm of new recruits that Lady Byrd has added to the WNR massive. I'm British, so I'll try and keep the spirit of Paul the Anglophile alive, but I'm currently studying the final year of my University course in Oklahoma. Musically, I like guitars that sound like lasers, crescendos that sound like the end of the world, and the Village People. If you have any other searching questions about me, feel free to leave a comment. Let's get onto the music.


Kunek are a bunch of lads and a lady from Stillwater, Oklahoma. They surprised me when I first heard them, I haven't heard music as deep, swirling and epic as this since 2001. Don't get me wrong, I like the Strokes, and what they've done for indie, a lot, but there's still a large place in my heart for music that isn't necessarily about a stripped-down garage sound. There hasn't been enough of it lately. The production on Kunek's debut album, Flight of the Flynns, is powerful - it gives the album a feel similar to that of obvious-influence-points Radiohead, or perhaps Coldplay or Elbow. This is music for staring out the windows of long car and train journeys, or plane flights.

We Have Become
Coma

The two songs I've posted are a couple of the immediate standouts from the album. We Have Become features one of the most startling opening lyrics on an album in some time, and Coma is almost hypnotic with singer Jesse Tabish's tired vocals weaving in and out of the rhythm. They don't appear to be touring, currently, but I'll try and keep an eye out and mention it when they do. You can see details for the few shows they're playing around Oklahoma and Texas on their MySpace page. You can buy their album from Amazon here.

- Duncan

Please Allow Myself To Introduce.... Myself!?

Hello World,


Welcome to my first ever blog as a part of the Who Needs Radio family. So far it has been a stellar week of posting. Thanks to Lady Byrd for assembling such an A List of contributors.

I suppose I should formally introduce myself. Here are my fundamentals.

My name is Cristin Anelysse. You can call me either. As a Toronto native and lover of all (well most) things music, I hope to bring some fun and Canadian-ness to this blog, and new music to your ears.

It should also be explained here that I have a penchant for playlists. In a former life as a contributor to a local zine, I developed this lovely fascination with accruing them through interviews I did. Themed or random, it was no difference. In the past artists have given me playlists ranging from utterly random to ones penned by their mothers, or directing musical malice towards former lovers. I loved them all like my bastard musical children.

I'm hella excited that I'll now get to share some new playlists here on Who Needs Radio by not only posting reviews, but interviewing a few artists here and there too! The interviews I post here will be accompanied by a playlist, kindly created by its subject.

And If you've got a killer playlist or even a new tune you want me to listen to, please don't be shy. Feel free to email it to me. I welcome any and all reasons to distract myself from my day job!

In keeping with my whole love of playlists and interviews and my general love of random fun and intrigue, I thought we could further acquaint ourselves in this innaugural post by playing a little musical game.

Below, is a playlist worth coveting. Who is the creator of said cleverly devised list, ever so wittily composed? Why don't we play a little guessing game...

Top Ten Albums...to buy at some crap-hole used record store to play at your bedroom party (in no specific order):

Curtis Mayfield - "Back to the World":
The band is slamming and Curtis sings with sweet falsettos pretty much the whole way through. Listen to "Right On For the Darkness".

Soundtrack to the film "Xanadu" featuring Olivia Newton John and ELO:
No, I'm actually not gay. Listen to "I'm Alive".

Michael Jackson - "Off the Wall" OR "Thriller":
Can't go wrong with either. Listen to "Rock With You".

Sly and the Family Stone Anthology:
4 sides of good times. "Hot fun in the Summertime" is righteous.

Fleetwood Mac -"Rumours":
Currently about 2 billion used in circulation. Features "Go Your Own Way" from my Top Ten List of "Songs to Break Up With Your Girlfriend To". Listen to "Dreams".

Buddy Miles - "A Message to the People" OR "We've got to Live Together":
An under the radar party-album-maker with an out of site backing band. Buddy himself played drums with Hendrix in the Band of Gypsies era. Last I heard he got thrown in the clink for grand theft auto down in Omaha. Bummer. Listen to "Wholesale Love" - an Otis Redding cover.

Prince - "Purple Rain":
Yes, the obligatory Minneapolis reference. This album is one of the greats. Listen to the whole damn thing.

Tears For Fears - "Songs From the Big Chair":
Maybe not top-to-bottom listen, but "Head Over Heels and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" are always a good vibe.

Marvin Gaye - "What's Goin' On?":
The first side of this album doesn't stop. It is just awesome. Well, except maybe the part where he keeps going "save the babies" over and over. A nice departure from the "Let's Get It On" vibe he was perpetrating for the majority of his career. Not that "Let's Get It On" is a bad idea by any means.

Soundtrack to "Saturday Night Fever":
Obviously the songs are perfect for a bedroom party. A veritable no brainer. I always tune in the guy playing the Rhodes. Killer. Yeah. Smooth. Awesome. Listen to "Jive Talkin'".

And so... here are your clues, you aspiring inter-web Nancy Drews and Hardy Boys!

1. He is indeed a He.
2. He is one fourth of a band. And one whole of another.
3. He is formerly of a band who's claim to fame was having a track featured on the now-soon-to-be-defunct The OC.

So those of you out there who are so inclined to hazard a guess, email me at cristifraser@whoneedsradio.com and I'll be happy to test your guesswork!

Stay tuned next week for the answer and a sweet little interview with the man in question...

Wait... I hear you saying to yourself these clues are just too hard. Since I am in a giving mood, I'll leave you with one final clue in the form of a luscious musical treat. The song below is by one of my all time favorite musicians, Paul Westerberg, who hails from Minnesota... the stomping ground of our mystery playlist author.

Man Without Ties

Yours independently,
CA

A Newbian Thursday

Goeie dag! (Afrikaans for Good day)

To get the necessary juices flowing from my noggin, let me start by introducing myself. My name is Riaan Botha, Ri for short, and I hail from the Southern tip of Africa. Herewith be my first posting for the fantabulous WHO NEEDS RADIO? whom I've been an avid reader of for quite sometime and am now a honoured part of the contributing crew.

Being from South Africa, Johannesburg to be exact, I will be posting about artists from all over the world (oh how the world seems so small when connected to the web), but will definitely give a concise lowdown on the little underground scene happening here. Third world country means third world commercial music industry. This in turn means that most local bands that ever see international exposure from South Africa are ten to one a copy act (see what I did there? Cat bent backwards licking itself?) of an international trend 2 years prior to its incarnation. I hope to rectify this situation in any little way I can by posting on the wonderful artists residing in our fair wee country, collectively damning the man...

Alas, the great little band I was first going to post on, homebred and all, ran into a slight snag with getting me their tracks in time, even with the few hours I am ahead timezone wise... Instead, whilst pondering the science of such facts, I have decided to go with a great little nugget of psych pop via Brighton's indie hopefuls, Homescience.


Homescience have been releasing singles, EPs and albums since about 2001 with the bulk of their catalogue split between two labels, Damaged Goods (Holly Golightly etc.) and The Track and Field Organisation (Essex Green, Comet Gain etc.) . This year will see them come into their own, maybe even (and rightfully so), reach a wider audience. I am trying to instill this with as much vigour as possible since their new material is another step up for them. With lots of Phil Spektor era influences and definite nods to the fabulous four, I can't see why this band has not received it's fair share of indie cred. Especially since bands like Starlight Mints and Crystal Skulls have. The hooks are there and they're damn catchy and each song keeps things interesting with some experimental bits for good measure. Take a listen for yourself to the Beatlesque vibes of "Kill yer mind" for example, also the Olivia Tremor Controlled bridge in "Introducing Nancy and the Kreeps". Then I did include a bonus older track for all you dear readers to give an idea of where this talented quartet are coming from. "Don't shirk" has definite Pet Sounds noodling happening in there... I am sure there's plenty of appeal for fans of the above mentioned as well as anyone who got a refresher course in Spoon's fantastic songs with the soundtrack to Stranger than Fiction (which only saw release on cinema's here recently by the way).

The new album Horse is finished, but label or release date is yet to be confirmed.
Introducing Nancy And The Kreeps ( from Horse)
Kill Yer Mind (from Horse)

Bonus:
Don't Shirk (from Songs for Sick Days)
+ Myspace

I sincerely hope this is the start to a wonderful world of sharing.

Yours (and please feel free to recommend stuff and comment too),
Ri

New kid on the blog

Hello folks!

My name Eric Sjoberg, a new member of the Who Needs Radio?-team. Thanks to the blessing of internet I will - in spite of my peripheral location in northern Europe - from now on bring you weekly posts here at WNR. Hopefully you will find these to your likings. I mean, I know Acid House Kings have had LOT of attention in the blogosphere for the last year or so but we still have a few Swedish gems waiting for your attention. Also I want to state this right away, English is not my mother tongue so unless you all want to learn Swedish, you will just have to do with some linguistic and grammatical mishaps. I really just want to say that I am thrilled about being here and let's get down to business!


Dreamboy has been around for a while in Sweden (and Japan) and I think it is time for them to be properly presented to a greater audience. Dreamboy makes beautiful powerpop (think Weezer, but less noisy and staccato) with uncomplicated lyrics and melodies. They formed in Solna (just outside of Stockholm) and were due to release a full-length album in Sweden this fall, but after some problems with their record company it has been postponed. I have seen them live on several occasions and they always deliver a great show. Fredrik is truly a great drummer and I can't stop worrying that someday Ludwigs lungs are going to crack. He has got the perfect voice for the kind of music they are playing and you can really se that he (and the whole band) loves being on stage. Oh and a tip, you can buy some EPs from their website.

But enough talking (or writing?) for now, here are some songs for you to enjoy.

The Big Question
Uncalled For

- Eric

Fresh meat

First off folks, let me introduce myself. My name is Amy Sylvester, and I am officially a new contributor to Lady Byrd's popular music portal, Who Needs Radio? Without a doubt, I am delighted to be a part of this bourgeoning blog and its evolution. More importantly, I feel privileged to have the opportunity to share my love of music and its intricacies with all of you. While I'm here, I hope to give you a fresh perspective on new tunes, bands and sonic trends. Ideally, I'd like to develop a rapport with each and every one of you dedicated readers. Realistically, I plan to earn your collective trust as a respectable and knowledgeable music aficionado. (Fingers crossed!)

All that being said, let's get on with the show.


It kind of goes without saying that the last thing the UK (or anybody else, for that matter) needs is another Radiohead/Coldplay rip-off, but there. I said it. That's why when I initially heard about Beggars Banquet's newest offering, London-based band The Early Years - a towering inferno of ambient fuzz, psychedelic riffs and murky melodies - I couldn't help but be a bit skeptical. My ears don't eagerly anticipate being underwhelmed by another Thom Yorke wannabe and his tech-junkie backup band.

Fortunately, I miscalculated. Much like their atmospherock predecessors, the three British blokes behind The Early Years share a love for lush, sweepings sounds and absurdly long feedback sessions (band creator David Malkinson got his solo start in 2004 with a 20-minute, noise-laden set for 20 people). But the amnesiastic similarities pretty much end there.

Melding influences as diverse as Spiritualized, Television and Neu! (who knew?), The Early Years compellingly capture not a decade or genre, but a mood. It's no wonder the trio is already a hit in its homeland: Besides conquering crowds at a number of large UK festivals, the group has also successfully infiltrated the small screen thanks to a Nike World Cup ad and late-night rotation on MTV2.

Though The Early Years certainly lives up to its nostalgic name in terms of inspiration and instrumentation (Brian Eno-era studio technology continues to rule Malkinson and company's creative unconscious), there is nothing stale about these sounds. Save a few slower, less impressive jams, The Early Years's debut energizes as much as it harkens back to a bygone time. "The Simple Solution," for instance, is an upbeat little number that conjures easy comparison to '80s mainstay Echo and the Bunnymen.

I can't promise The Early Years will arouse within you any life-changing epiphanies, but at the very least, you can expect your senses to awaken. Before you know it, your heart and feet will be beating at a frenetic, Flashdance-level pace. Your coworkers might think you've lost your mind. Hey, that's good enough for me.

From The Early Years (preorder @ Insound):
All Ones & Zeros
The Simple Solution
So Far Gone
+ Myspace

Keep bootscootin',
Amy

Welcome Back, Kotter!

So we're officially back, and the new WNR writing team is ready to begin! I spent a lot of hours and days emailing my host and Blogger, but it was worth it just to get back on track for you lovely readers. Let's just hope this doesn't happen yet again (knock on wood).

In the time spent not posting, I've been working hard for the money... handling the changes of the music site I work for, SoundClick.com. We went from being an artist community like mp3.com, into now being a sort of a cocktail of Myspace's profiles, MP3.com's features, and iTunes' store (but with better profit shares). There's still quite a bit of work left to do in the visual and layout department, but in the meantime I've been finding a lot of great unsigned bands there. It's not that I didn't think to look for them before, it's just that now it's become easier to find them.


Argentina's Modular were one of the first finds that I fell absolutely head over heels for. It's like Air and Stereolab were rolled up into one beautiful audible treasure and buried deep in the internet for me to find. I'm still amazed and puzzled at why I had never even heard of them before. I mean, I've heard of the label "Modular", but never this exquisite group. Check out these favorites of mine below, and once addicted... visit Modular's SoundClick page to hear and download more songs.

Trust me... you'll become addicted.

Perdidos en el Espacio
Hongosapiens
Viaje por el Planeta del Pasto
Flasheando
+ Myspace

Much love,
Lady Byrd

Issues with updating.

For the past week, we've been having some serious issues posting with Blogger to our FTP host. So at the moment, I am in the process of researching how to transfer the entire site to another publishing platform. It isn't fun and my brain feels like mush, but we'll get there soon.

I apologize for the inconvenience, and hope to have the new contributors posting soon.

Stay tuned.

- Lady Byrd

Bad news, good news.

Pat Robertson claims that God spoke to him and told him that 2007 will be the year of the apocalypse. Well, I spoke to God too, and he told me that 2007 will be the best year for Who Needs Radio. He also told me that Pat Robertson is out of his damn mind, but we all knew that already.

As you all know from my previous post, I was looking for a new contributor to help pull up the slack here at WNR. The response was massive, and a lot of fantastic people poured their musical hearts and minds into their applications. Bad news is, I was not able to pick a contributor.

Instead I picked 5.

What this means is that you'll be getting a lot more new material from us, and our coverage is going world wide... literally. We've now got contributors in Toronto, South Africa, Sweden, Atlanta, and London.

Just give us a little time to get the flow worked out, but from here on out it should be smooth sailing and daily input.

Don't forget to give all the new contributors warm welcomes and comment love galore.

- Lady Byrd

And the soundtrack for today's post:
Nina Simone - Feeling Good

Want to write for Who Needs Radio?

Our dearest Paul (the anglophile) has long since stepped down from his thrown as contributor for WNR due to time constraints, so I am in search of a dedicated music obsessive to take his place. I try to write up as much as I can, but in order to fully accomplish the mission statement, I need to have as much input and coverage as possible.

Here is what is required:

- Be able to post a review at least once or twice a week. The smaller the amount of posts, the more bands it should contain in the review (i.e. 1 post a week = 3 bands minimum within that 1 post).

- Be somewhat technologically savvy. You will need to know basic HTML and how to use an FTP program. The posts are done through blogger, but the song uploading is done through the host.

- Have a good grasp on the indie scene. Take a glance at my music listing on my myspace profile as an example. If you don't know at least half of the bands I have listed, chances are your tastes won't fit the bill. This is not snobbery on my behalf, this is honesty.

- Be an avid show-go'er. I need someone who can cover a good show once in a while. If you have a good camera, even better.

- Location is not specific, but I prefer my co-contributor to be in a large metropolitan area where the music scene is thriving. This helps bring more material to the site.

- You must be okay with email. We get a LOT of emails daily, and on top of having your own WNR email account, I will be forwarding a lot of band submissions for you to have your pick of reviewing.

- The more connections, the better. I currently am on a few DJ rosters and mailing lists for new material, so if you happen to work for a label or have a grip on where to find the new shit... it helps. Also, I like to have special contributors once in a while that are either of bands or celebrity status, so if you know people... then you're automatically awesome and can help.

- This is a non-profit site, which means it's an unpaid duty. I'm not making money (I'm actually spending it to keep it going), so neither will you. The site was set in order to purely promote independent music, not make money. You MUST be okay with this. Occasionally we get donations from readers and supporters, but all of this immediately goes back into the site for bandwidth, renewals, etc.

Well, I think that's about it. I know I put out a want ad before for an additional writer, but at that time the flow was still going smoothly. Now it's not, and I'm up to here with submissions that I don't have enough time to give justice to.

We're a year down with much, much more to do.

If you or anyone you know is interested, please email me at ladybyrd@whoneedsradio.com with the following:

- Name
- Location
- Website or Myspace
- Short paragraph about what you could bring to the readers of WNR

Thanks!

Lady Byrd
Founder. Contributor.
http://whoneedsradio.com

And a little soundtrack for this post:
Gang Of Four - Return The Gift

An actual music post coming shortly. Still catching up from the holidays, y'all.