Johnny Marr’s The Messenger album is out Tuesday and it’s an early 2013 highlight for me. The signature stamp of his guitar style is unmistakable just as you’d expect, and it dominates throughout just as you’d want it to. Marr’s vocal style often reminds of Morrissey, leading me to ponder how their many years together might have made an impact. Much of the album is upbeat, but there is a more melancholy track that will please many Smiths fans. That is “New Town Velocity”. It is easy going with a beautiful flow. Marr will embark on an 18-date North American tour in April that will include Coachella, with shows in Las Vegas and Santa Barbara with New Order. By Bruce Rave

Johnny Marr – New Town Velocity

Johnny Marr (Official)

* Links and playlists from Rave’s weekly new music show can be found on his blog and be sure follow Bruce on Twitter too!Johnny Marr –

We’re a few spins deep and we still can’t get enough of “Smoking Saved My Life” from the Manchester based collective Cold One Hundred. Not only is the song’s coping theme relatable to most anyone but it’s swirling Smiths tinged swag is nearly melodic enough throughout to forgive any bumps in the middle 8. Give the track a listen below, from the band’s new On To The Next One EP.

The Cold One Hundred – Smoking Saved My Life

The Cold One Hundred (Facebook) (Official)

Rating 8.2

Yes! We love The Social! Ever wanted to hear what The Smiths would sound like fronted by Ian Curtis? That would be an awesome collaboration for sure. So The Social kind of sound like that. On “UK Gothic” you’ll hear refs to a greatest hits of early to mid 80′s UK guitar bands (Smiths, JD, New Order, Cure, Bunnymen, etc). Listen.

The Social – UK Gothic

The Social (Myspace)

Rating 8.3

Is that a proper looking UK guitar band or what? The Heartbreaks are four sharp-dressed dudes from Lancashire that play some killer guitar pop. Listen to their music and you can pick up bits and pieces of the entirety of British Isles rock history; a little bit Smiths, a little bit U2, a little bit Cure but also whole lotta big melodies and big hooks. There are approx nine billion (we counted) of these sort of UK nostalgia bands on both sides of the Atlantic, but what separates The Heartbreaks is just that, the songs. Nostalgia is great, we love dance rhythms and delay pedals but these boys all bring some serious songwriting chops. Check out “Jealous, Don’t You Know” below, the band’s third single, and hear for yourself.

The Heartbreaks – Jealous, Don’t You Know

The Heartbreaks: (Myspace) (Soundcloud) (Facebook)

Rating: 8.0

Contributed by Bruce Rave

Stoked to be bringing my Rave’s Faves to b3sci! The Dum Dum Girls got some love on their debut album but their new EP helps them stand out from the crowd of competent girl rockers. Their Smiths cover of “There’s A Light That Never Goes Out” was posted here last week. The title track “He Gets Me High” has an ace guitar intro and fine hooks throughout.

Dum Dum Girls – He Gets Me High

Purchase / Official

Catch Bruce on Moheak Radio Fridays 1-3pm PST

Rating: 8.4

We won’t front, when we first saw “Dum Dum Girls” paired with “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” we feared the worst. “There Is a Light” is at least one b3sci’ers fav Smiths song so the bar is a little on the high side. Dum Dum Girls smash it though. From the moment we hit play, and the those big Surfaris-esque guitar tones came in we were hooked. Catch the wave below.

Dum Dum Girls – There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (Smiths Cover)

Purchase / Official

Rating: 8.2

Big tune here from Irish trio Funeral Suits. We heard “Colour Fader” on Zane Lowe’s show the other night, and wow, what a song. There are obvious influences here, MGMT, Temper Trap, (as cited by Zane himself) Blur, Smiths (Dudes are working with the Stephen Street! The bloke who produced Parklife!), but what a super exciting mix of sounds. And it sounds different! And from a new band! Love it. Can’t wait to see what more is in store from these guys.

Funeral Suits – Colour Fader

Info

Rating: 8.5

Holy shit, when I first heard Phantogram’s debut LP “Eyelid Movies”. Holy shit! Holy shit! I was basically inconsolable, “This record is amazing!” “Have you heard this shit?” “Its got so much crazy amazing complementary sounds on it.” That shit went on for at least a couple weeks, as I was so ridiculously into this record. It was like hearing Interpol for the first time when I was 18 or Pink Floyd when I was 12 or the fucking Cleveland Orchestra doing the Missa Solemnis for the first time. I was like, finally, fucking finally, someone’s put together all these diverse, yet complementary sounds together, all these sounds that I fucking love. Suffice to say, when Phantogram landed in Boston for a show at the Paradise, shit. was. on.

Typically performing as the duo of vocals/keys/electronics/moves Sarah Barthel and guitars/vocals/electronics/moves Josh Carter, this gig at Paradise was Phantogram’s first performance as a three piece, adding a live drummer to the group. The performance itself was not without complication, there were some technical onstage problems between the band and their new drummer, the band and their equipment, the equipment and their venue, but that aside, Phantogram’s concise approx. 45 minute set was for the most part fucking great.

Phantogram opened with As Far As I Can See, Sarah and Josh moving about the stage to the pulse of strobe lights (think something out of the How Soon Is Now video). The band were fucking loud. It was phenomenal. The sound literally shook up, rattled, took the room clear over. Hearing that song, and others, live for the first time made me feel something similar to when I first started spinning the record, just all these exceptional feelings, all at once. And the live drummer really gave the songs something heavier, something more visceral, something that just pushed at you, at your core, pushed you to feel the songs that much more.

Apologizing for the scores of onstage technical problems, Josh made a parting affirmation to the audience, “Boston, next time, we promise, we will blow your fucking socks off.” No fucking doubt.

Phantogram’s Eyelid Movies LP is out now on Barsuk.

The Smiths – How Soon Is Now

b3sci MIXTAPES: Manchester

we’re mad fer it.

01. New Order – “Let’s Go (Nothing For Me)” 02. Happy Mondays – “Tart Tart” 03. The Fall – “Kicker Conspiracy” 04. A Certain Ratio – “Do the Du” 05. Elbow – “Grounds for Divorce” 06. The Hollies – “Just One Look” 07. The Chemical Brothers – “Star Guitar” 08. Oasis – “My Big Mouth” 09. Magazine – “Recoil” 10. Doves – “Black and White Town” 11. James – “Laid” 12. The Smiths – “Still Ill” 13. The Stone Roses – “Made of Stone” 14. Buzzcocks – “Oh Shit!” 15. Cherry Ghost – “Mountain Bird” 16. The Bee Gees – “To Love Somebody” 17. Inspiral Carpets – “Keep the Circle Around” 18. Joy Division – “Shadowplay”