New & Recent Release Oct 08

It's been a little while since I caught up with new releases, in fact some of the songs in this episode don't even feel that new any more, so it's catch up time.

Cat and Bird is a limited edition lathe cut 7" single featuring two cuts each from The Enright House and Break Mission Kills. Both Break Mission Kills and The Enright House offer up moody, evocative electronic based songs perfect for late night listening. I'm a particular fan of the Enright House whose music, despite being recorded in a bedroom, seems to have a real sense of quiet grandeur. Mark Roberts, who records as the Enright House is a much under-rated musician and an artisan. His music is always thoughfully and beautifully packaged and presented. This single is a plastic lathe cut by King records, with a stunning picture sleeve. The single is available as a free download but I would recommend the single itself which also comes with access to high quality .wav files of the songs. The Enright House is currently working on a second album. (His first, A Maze and Amazement,is highly recommended), while Sarah Kelleher of Break Mission Kills is now in the UK recording and performing as Misfitmod. You should also take a listen to an intriquing The Enright House performance (stream) on National Radio.

Also electronic based, but much more upbeat, are Little Pictures, a duo with a synthesiser and a pop knack. On first hearing their album Owl + Owl didn't do it for me, I just found the cheesy keyboard too much, but with repeated listens the songs have hooked me. Little Pictures emerged from a four piece band and personally I'd like to hear some of these songs in that setting, but there's no denying that these two write songs that are catchy as hell.

On the same label as Little Pictures, (Lil' Chief Records) are the Ruby Suns, who took te reo to the world earlier this year when their song 'Tane Mahuta' became a runaway blogosphere hit. The album from earlier this year that featured that song, Sea Lions, was astounding - The Ruby Suns moving on from a heavy Beach Boys influence into a unique pop talent. New material now emerging indicates that the band are going from strength to strength. 'Don't Trust The Dirty Fruit' sounds a bit like a mix beween Graceland era Paul Simon and Talking Heads. The song features on an upcoming charity abum but this with a number of covers that are doing the rounds on the internet have me hanging out already for album number three.

Indie pop-folk duo The Gladeyes recently featured in a Counting The Beat covers special with their cover of Die Die Die's 'Shyness Will Get You Nowhere'. That song features on a self released 9 track CD The Prospect Palace Practice Tapes, which is available by contacting the duo through their blog. I don't know if The Gladeyes have heard of Look Blue Go Purple, but I bet if they have they really like them. They share the same kind of "strum pop" 80s Flying Nun sound. Nice.

Download the Counting The Beat - October 08 New Releases podcast