Keep Pop Loud

kadrey: Space tourism posters. futurist-foresight: How long do...

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:22:32 +0000

Space tourism posters.

futurist-foresight:

How long do you think it will be before space tourism becomes as affordable for vacationing as air travel?

myampgoesto11:

Space Travel Posters by Steve Thomas

How unfathomably great are these? “Very”, is the answer I think you’re looking for.

‘Signal 30’ - Public Service Broadcasting Still one...

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:30:50 +0000

‘Signal 30’ - Public Service Broadcasting

Still one of the most interesting and inventive acts to have appeared in recent years, PSB’s highly conceptual blend of styles and textures is yet to grow old. Quite the opposite in fact, as in ever track we hear appears to add a new dimension to the group.

‘Signal 30’ is from their forthcoming debut album Inform - Educate - Entertain and adds a thrilling yet menacing edge to the electronic-rock-meets-archival-footage template that we so enjoyed on The War Room EP. We might say that Wildgoose has serious guitar chops if we didn’t think that was an absurd phrase, but suffice to say, he is a bit good at this music thingy.

If you like this then it’s also worth noting that there’s a free download of non-album track ‘New Dimensions In Sound’ to be had.

Teenage Clothes by Heathers After being linked to by Summer...

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:00:44 +0000

Teenage Clothes by Heathers

After being linked to by Summer Camp’s Elizabeth ‘Teenage Clothes’ has been doing the rounds on Twitter winning over everyone that’s given it’s fuzzy brilliance a chance.

As you’d guess from the album artwork there’s a Smiths influence in Heathers, but it doesn’t overpower what is two and a half minutes of joyous lo-fi pop. It’s certainly the most fun thing we’ve heard that’s come out of LA in a while, AND it’s a free download. Get on it!

Note: These guys aren’t to be confused with the Dublin based folksy popsters of the same name.

London Bound by Just Handshakes This is really great stuff from...

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 21:08:08 +0000

London Bound by Just Handshakes

This is really great stuff from the Leeds-based group and has ensured that forthcoming debut album Say It is a record that we can’t wait to get our hands on.

Catchy and quickly paced, ‘London Bound’ has elements of Altered Images quirky pop and The Sundays shimmering elegance about it whilst crafting an indiepop sound that’s all their own. What’s more, it’s rather addictive prompting multiple plays in anyone but the most dead at heart.

It’s a free download too, and comes packed with a rather fine remix, courtesy of James Hare. Strongly recommended.

Only Fiction by Bordeauxxx For this weekend only you can get...

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 16:30:02 +0000

Only Fiction by Bordeauxxx

For this weekend only you can get this excellent mini-album for only £3.50 at the KPL Store. It’s a bargain for 7 cracking tracks!

Go here to get your copy.

Photo

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 19:49:47 +0000

Paintings of Ships - English Weather The title track of one of...

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 19:01:17 +0000

Paintings of Ships - English Weather

The title track of one of our favourite albums of last year, ‘English Weather’ is the latest single by ace popsters Paintings of Ships.

Keeping with their DIY aesthetic the video was recorded on the bands phone and details a day in the life of a threadbare teddy bear. It’s very sweet and should hopefully throw some more attention the bands way.

If you want more of a taste of their album you can get a free download of ‘Summer Love’ on our free Pop Kept Loud download EP, or check out the whole album at their bandcamp page.

Where’s Wall-E ? by Richard Sargent

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:18:24 +0000

Where’s Wall-E ? by Richard Sargent

Top 50 Songs of 2012

Sun, 06 Jan 2013 12:06:08 +0000

Now in a handy Spotify Playlist.

50) Under-Esitmate The Girl - Kate Nash
49) Do You Really - Glow Kit
48) Bats In The Attic (Unravelled) - King Creosote & Jon Hopkins
47) Stop Kicking - Blood Red Shoes
46) Something New - Girls Aloud
45) State Hospital - Frightened Rabbit
44) Blue Dahlia - The Gaslight Anthem
43) Summer, Somewhere - Screaming Maldini
42) Listen To Your Head - Kaiser Chiefs
41) Dark Star - Poliça
40) Default - Django Django
39) Coastal Command - Wild Billy Childish & The Spartan Dreggs
38) The Pain Comes Easy (The Rest Is Hard) - Paintings of Ships
37) 3 Hearts - Johnny Foreigner
36) She Crows (Document Minor Emotional Breakdown #4) - Los Campesinos!
35) Beeswing - The Futureheads
34) Piledriver Waltz - Caitlin Rose
33) Food - The Lovely Eggs
32) Electricity - Arctic Monkeys
31) Beneath The Waves An Ocean - Future of the Left
30) Rent - Field Music
29) Sixteen Salteens - Jack White
28) My Heart Beats - Veronica Falls
27) White Noise - Gaz Coombes
26) Simple Song - The Shins
25) We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift
24) Chi-Town - The Cribs
23) Season In Hell - Dum Dum Girls
22) Spitfire - Public Service Broadcasting
21) Always - Summer Camp
20) They Launched A Probe - The Winter Olympics
19) Centre of Your Universe - Internet Forever
18) Gold On The Ceiling - The Black Keys
17) Murmurations - Tall Ships
16) Tina Weymouth - This Many Boyfriends
15) Darth Vader - Standard Fare
14) The Battle Of Peterborough - MJ Hibbett & The Validators
13) Pelican - The Maccabees
12) Mind Control - Friends
11) After You - Pulp
10) Closer - Tegan and Sara
09) The House That Heaven Built - Japandroids
08) Under The Westway - Blur
07) So Long - Taffy
06) Leave Your Body Behind You - Richard Hawley
05) The Beach Girls And The Monster - Bordeauxxx
04) Hips And Lips - Maxïmo Park
03) Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us - The Darkness
02) Capricornia - Allo Darlin’
01) The Mother We Share - CHVRCHES

There’s a small handfull of tracks missing, but it’s mostly complete. Thanks to John for compiling it.

Top 50 Songs of 2012 No. 01: The Mother We Share – CHVRCHES With...

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:55:39 +0000

Top 50 Songs of 2012

No. 01: The Mother We Share – CHVRCHES

With tip lists working overdrive it’d be easy to have second thoughts about naming ‘The Mother We Share’ as my favourite song of 2012 for fear of adding to the hype. But this list is nothing if it not honest and ‘The Mother We Share’ is my favourite song of 2012.

CHVRCHES couldn’t have arrived more perfectly formed if I’d invented them myself. They have single handedly yanked me out of a music-weary fug when I’d resigned myself to depleted music love in the second half of my twenties. ‘The Mother We Share’ made me believe once again that the music I love could go somewhere and touch many other peoples lives. It provided that colour which 2012 was sorely missing and could be nowhere but the top of this list.

Top 50 Songs of 2012 No. 02: Capricornia - Allo...

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:30:29 +0000

Top 50 Songs of 2012

No. 02: Capricornia - Allo Darlin’

Perfect. I can only apologise for this not being No. 1.

Top 50 Songs of 2012 No. 03: Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us - The...

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:27:25 +0000

Top 50 Songs of 2012

No. 03: Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us - The Darkness

Never bet against The Darkness. Critics would say that they should never have made it in the first place, and few expected that a return would be successful. The comeback track needed to be incredible to make any of this possible, and here we are now with Hot Cakes being a Top 10 hit. ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us’ is the side of The Darkness that I’ve always seen, the side that understands that rock and roll comes with its tongue in its cheek or its heart on its sleeve – and catsuits don’t always have sleeves.

Top 50 Songs of 2012 No. 04: Hips And Lips - Maxïmo...

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 14:00:58 +0000

Top 50 Songs of 2012

No. 04: Hips And Lips - Maxïmo Park

Maxïmo Park have stated that they’re fully aware of how much they had to prove with The National Health, and it’s a compliment to the record that they’re one of the few to have come out of the indie rock collapse unscathed. Without a doubt this was helped by ‘Hips And Lips’ which stands out as not only one of their best singles, but one of the best tracks to have emerged in mainstream guitar music in the last decade. A juddering, industrial tinged beast, it sounds as though it could crack open the Earth’s crust.

Top 50 Songs of 2012 No. 05: The Beach Girls And The Monster –...

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:45:28 +0000

Top 50 Songs of 2012

No. 05: The Beach Girls And The Monster – Bordeauxxx

I think if I put this higher up you’d think I was biased. After all Keep Pop Loud did release parent mini-album Only Fiction back in September. But really I released this because I think it’s truly terrific, I wouldn’t be putting the time into it if it was otherwise. A great example of a band playing with the indiepop template and creating something completely fresh and new.

Top 50 Songs of 2012 No. 06: Leave Your Body Behind You -...

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:45:28 +0000

Top 50 Songs of 2012

No. 06: Leave Your Body Behind You - Richard Hawley

Hawley is another long-time favourite that not only impressed in 2012, but reconfigured how I appreciate them. It’s been his string-laden ballads in the past that have hooked me in, but in turning the volume right up and creating music as physical as it was involving Sir Richard created his best music since Coles’ Corner.

Top 50 Songs of 2012 No. 07: So Long – Taffy Sometimes the...

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:30:28 +0000

Top 50 Songs of 2012

No. 07: So Long – Taffy

Sometimes the best songs need little said about them. Taffy didn’t represent any trends or take over the world in 2012, they simply wrote an album of terrific songs that slotted right into my 2012. ‘So Long’ is Taffy at their most instant and poppy, and although it’s become somewhat clichéd to say so sounds like a classic/forgotten 90’s hit. It’s a plus that they look rather dapper in this video too.

Top 50 Songs of 2012 No. 08: Under The Westway – Blur The...

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:15:27 +0000

Top 50 Songs of 2012

No. 08: Under The Westway – Blur

The stately, poignant Blur was the one that appeared on their comeback/farewell single and demonstrated how much we’ve missed them over the years. This encapsulated the despondent, feel of a sad and dreary 2012 yet wasn’t without hope. So good that not even the hollow spectacle of the Olympics could detract.

Top 50 Songs of 2012 No. 09: The House That Heaven Built –...

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:01:33 +0000

Top 50 Songs of 2012

No. 09: The House That Heaven Built – Japandroids

The essence of Japandroinds was the essence of rock and roll in 2012, and this was contained within ‘The House That Heaven Built’. It feels like that burning, blistering desire that you thought you’d lost as you got older and sounds like driving recklessly. It’s so vital you’ll wonder how you did without it.

Top 50 Songs of 2012 No. 10: Closer - Tegan and...

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 12:45:28 +0000

Top 50 Songs of 2012

No. 10: Closer - Tegan and Sara

There’s very few songs I’ve listened to on repeat this year. It’s a change in my listening habits that I’m not too keen on. That said, several days in December were lost to streaming this and practically leaping around my flat like an unproductive moron. I’ve no real idea what Tegan and Sara are about, but thanks to ‘Closer’s HUGE pop-ness I’ll be checking out what they’ve got to offer.

Top 50 Songs of 2012 No. 11: After You – PulpA great piece of...

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 12:30:00 +0000

Top 50 Songs of 2012

No. 11: After You – Pulp

A great piece of evidence that proves that you should never publish yr end of year lists too early. Released on Christmas Day as a free download for those people at the Sheffield gig on December 8^th, it’s a spruced-up version of a We Love Life era demo that James Murphy has touched with his golden fingers. The sort of disco tune that we all know Jarvis loves ‘After You’ contains one of my favourite lyrics of 2012: “If you need to be naked it’s alright by me”.