Music Alliance Pact - July 2009

This month's explanation of the Music Alliance Pact comes courtesy of The Guardian: "MAP is an international group of bloggers who each month simultaneously post a list of tracks by their countries' best new bands, with one suggestion from each MAP member."

We're now up to 26 participating countries thanks to new arrivals Japan and Venezuela. The blurbs below are written by the blogger who picked the song and you can download any track for free with a right-click and save, or alternatively get the whole lot in a single album by following the link at the end of the post. Obviously, The Pop Cop's choice is the best ;o)

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
4 Maple Leaves – Easy Speak
Even though Glasgow's pedigree of producing twee, folky-pop bands (Belle & Sebastian, Camera Obscura) is strong, few have been as relentlessly joyous as Maple Leaves. With their dreamy girl-boy vocals and penchant for colouring their songs with flute, piano and acoustic guitar, Maple Leaves are guaranteed to put the spring into anyone's summer.

AMERICA: I Guess I'm Floating
4 Spanish Prisoners – Kiss The Lawn Goodbye
Brooklyn's Spanish Prisoners, fronted by Leo Maymind, create fractured power-pop in the vein of The New Porno's Dan Bejar (Destroyer). They're currently working on a new album but in the meantime they've released a free three-song EP - download it here - from which Kiss The Lawn Goodbye is taken.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
4 Mi Pequeña Muerte – La Música Nueva
Mi Pequeña Muerte means "my little death" so you're probably thinking this is not a particularly optimistic band. That was true for Hospital, their 2004 debut album, which was loaded with melancholic indie-rock tunes and moaning vocals. But this is 2009 and believe it or not, the band's third album is called Un Futuro Brillante ("a brilliant future"). Maybe that was just pure irony, but in this new effort they define themselves with shiny sounds and instruments, including horns and Moog synthesizers.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
4 Boat Beam – The Rain Pauly
So it turns out that Josephine of Sparkadia is now in this gorgeously gentle folky trio in Madrid called Boat Beam, and they seem to be kinda popular (check their MySpace). How crazy is that? I could listen to The Rain Pauly for days.

BRAZIL: Meio Desligado
4 Nancy – Keep Cooler
Five-piece band Nancy have played just a few shows in Brazil and may be more well-known outside the country. They were the first Brazilian band on virtual label RCRD LBL and have been featured on BBC Radio's Introducing programme, showing their soft indie tunes. Nancy's members live in different cities and countries so the band's debut album, Chora Matisse!, was composed on the internet through emails and IM.

CANADA: I(Heart)Music
4 Rah Rah – I've Got Faith
When I had to submit my ballot for the Polaris Music Prize (think a Canadian version of the Mercury Prize), the one album that was toughest for me to leave off was Rah Rah's amazing Going Steady. As I've Got Faith shows, the band combine the best elements of Broken Social Scene (with the constant sense they're just barely keeping everything together) and Arcade Fire (in its epicness), with the end result being a sound that's all their own.

CHILE: Super 45
4 Pedropiedra – Sol Mayor
Pedro Subercaseaux has been involved with music for almost a decade. Having explored such diverse styles as cumbia, hip-hop, electronica, pop and rock, he has been part of several projects such as Hermanos Brothers, Tropiflaite, Yaia and CHC, gathering a good amount of success along the way. This year Subercaseaux has decided to release his debut solo album, under the moniker Pedropiedra, in which he demonstrates his great ability to craft catchy pop-oriented melodies.

DENMARK: All Scandinavian
4 The Works – Live And Direct (featuring Jams F. Kennedy)
It's time to bring some urban tunes to all ye faithful readers of the Music Alliance Pact. Enter The Works aka producers Twelve Beats and Terry Tester, whom I stumbled across quite recently and whose intriguing fusion of hip-hop and electronica I haven't been able to shake off since. Minimalist, yet rich on details. Hardly moving, but always taking you places. Their debut release, Yokohama EP, is out now and streamed in full on their MySpace.

ENGLAND: The Daily Growl
4 Friendship – The Graveyard Shift
Tired of indie bands showing off their 'African influences'? Well, get ready for one more, although this is done with a lot more bite, distortion and general sense of fun than most.

FINLAND: Glue
4 Neufvoin – Robot
Neufvoin are an up-and-coming indie band who create beautifully-arranged catchy pop melodies with guitars, synthesizer textures and a few other instruments. Apparently, they also like playing with bots and droids. Robot is taken from their debut Robokop EP, six songs produced by Rubik frontman Artturi Taira that journey many different musical landscapes.

FRANCE: ZikNation
4 Jessica Fichot – Un, Deux, Trois (1,2,3)
Born in America to a French father and Chinese mother, chanteuse and songwriter Jessica Fichot was raised in France in a multicultural environment. She is a lot like her hometown of Paris: French at heart, but with a soul that's truly international. Her multi-ethnic upbringing colors the songs on her debut album.

GERMANY: Blogpartei
4 Bonaparte – Gigolo Vagabundo
Bonaparte are a Berlin-based artist collective from all across Europe. Their sparkling weird-folk is powered by Balkan pace and electronic rhythms. Outfitted with crazy costumes, they are one of the most exciting German live acts around.

ICELAND: I Love Icelandic Music
4 Sudden Weather Change – Prey Mode
Sudden Weather Change are a five-piece rock band from Reykjavik who have been compared to Sonic Youth and Pavement. Prey Mode is taken from their debut album, Stop! Handgrenade In The Name Of Crib-Death 'nderstand, which came out in April on the Icelandic Kimi Records label and will be released in Europe and America in September.

IRELAND: Nialler9
4 The Holy Roman Army – Elegy
Ireland has already produced its fair share of amazing records so far this year and we can now add The Holy Roman Army's album to that list. How The Light Gets In is the brother and sister duo's debut and it's filled with ambient and electronic flourishes with an organic heart. Perhaps it's not a surprise they are a doctor and a psychologist respectively. Elegy is a perfect example of the band's yearning for something emotional between the city's streets.

ITALY: Polaroid
4 Iori's Eyes – Anchor
Iori's Eyes are a boy and a girl from Milan who play gentle pop with a dreamy touch. Their music brings together a folk mood and a post-rock background. Their songs sound as fragile and delicate as little toys, but definitely know how to be surprising and poignant. Iori's Eyes just released their debut EP, And Everything Fits In The Yellow Whale, and I can't wait to listen to a proper album.

JAPAN: JPOP Lover
4 LITE – Ghost Dance
LITE are a Tokyo-based instrumental band who play experimental rock with striking, groove-heavy basslines. Formed in 2003, their spirit is similar to Mogwai, 65daysofstatic, Battles, Toe and Envy. In May, LITE visited America for the first time, going out on tour with legendary bass guitarist Mike Watt.

MEXICO: Club Fonograma
4 Hello Seahorse! – Universo 2
Hello Seahorse! is the year's most acclaimed Mexican indie band. With their third album, Bestia, the trio have made the transition into a multi-dimensional group with a masterwork under their belt. Bestia shines in between ghosts and hazy sonic beauty, in a universe of its own, and proves Hello Seahorse! have total control over their romanticized and passionate, sublime creations.

NEW ZEALAND: Counting The Beat
4 Urbantramper – Southern Hemisphere Blues
Urbantramper are a five-piece from Wellington who are part of a loose collective known as Treeninja. The band produce introspective pop songs that reflect an endearing, naive angst about their place in the world. This is a group with a manifesto! They're currently considering issues of music distribution, copyright and the impact of these on the nature of the relationship between musician and audience. Urbantramper have a strong back catalogue and a new album due in September.

NORWAY: Eardrums
4 Silverdrop – Real Life
It's July, it's summer and it's time for some fresh and shiny indie-pop from Norwegian six-piece Silverdrop. These are definitely sounds for the sunny days and the band's new recordings are even more bouncy and energetic than the songs I've heard from them before. Silverdrop are currently working on their debut album.

PERU: SoTB
4 Francois Peglau – Spring Lovers Song (Si Tú Quieres)
Francois Peglau's songs do not need much explanation, they just happen. They are simple and beautiful - they could be borne from a whistle on a bus or a nice sunny day with friends. Francois moved to London two years ago and Spring Lovers Song (Si Tú Quieres) is his most recent song.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvir Um Disco?
4 Andrew Thorn – ME Jane
Andrew Thorn is João Pedro Coimbra, a Portuguese composer/musician/producer and founder of the extremely successful duo Mesa. Andrew Thorn is João's way of exploring his creativity beyond Mesa's sound. The debut EP, Brutes On The Quiet, was released independently (Mesa is signed to Sony/BMG) on July 13 and ME Jane is the first authorized download by the artist and a MAP exclusive.

ROMANIA: Babylon Noise
4 Melting Carousel – Several Other Universes
Melting Carousel are an indie-pop band from Timisoara with an eclectic approach, ranging from alternative pop to jazz.

SINGAPORE: I'm Waking Up To...
4 Force Vomit – Liberator
Surfing and punk-rock in the city state of Singapore don't necessarily go hand in hand due to the lack of any noteworthy waves (both literally and metaphorically). Enter Force Vomit, the antithesis of Singapore's two shortcomings with their brazen brand of surf-punk that takes the piss out of Singapore's sanitized idiosyncrasies and semblance of normal life. Sounding like a Dick Dale number cut by switchblades, Liberator should easily find a place in a Tarantino film.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
4 Dringe Augh – Tutelar
Singer-songwriter Dringe Augh offers lovely songs full of lively guitar play. Over the years he has recorded several demos and his first official EP, Individually Wrapped, was released in June. On the new version of Tutelar, Dringe is accompanied by delightful female vocals from Eunjie Song of modern folk duo Sogyumo Acacia Band.

SWEDEN: Swedesplease
4 MAKTHAVERSKAN – German Boy
I was stumbling around the net (MySpace in particular) and came across this band called MAKTHAVERSKAN. I have since learned they are signed to Luxury. Consider this your introduction to the new 'it' band from Gothenburg. They are agit-pop combined with post-punk and a little bit of Joan Jett tunefulness.

VENEZUELA: Barquisimeto Musical
4 Gonzalo Teppa – De Conde A Principal
Gonzalo Teppa is a musician, composer and a breathtaking double-bass player. Born in Barquisimeto, he has wowed audiences in Mexico, Brazil, Spain, USA, Colombia and Bolivia. Downbeat Magazine has selected him as solo artist of the year twice. De Conde A Principal is a version of an original work from Venezuelan composer Aldemaro Romero. It belongs to his latest work, Contrabajos De Aldemaro.

To download all 26 songs in one file click here.

Live review: T in the Park 2009

FRIDAY

The honour of opening this year's T in the Park falls to SAVING AIMEE. It would be easy to say they've been listening to 80s new wave pop, but more realistically they've been listening to the Last.fm playlists of teenage emo girls such is their wholly unimaginative attempt to latch onto a fad that will pass long before the Hertfordshire band have figured out that synths, angular haircuts and expensive sneakers are no substitute for writing a song that actually has some weight.

JAMES MORRISON at least knows his role in the grand scheme of things, playing inoffensive love songs to the masses at the Main Stage. The highlight of an instantly forgettable set (and no You Make It Real - shame on you Morrison!) was when he attempted a Scottish accent when urging the crowd to "have yerself a bonny day, alright" and ended up sounding like a Rasta.

MAPLE LEAVES are possibly one of the newest bands ever to play T in the Park, this being only their sixth gig, but you could never tell given how nerveless and assured they are performing their simple, feelgood pop songs. Despite their moniker, Maple Leaves are from Scotland but try telling that to the three middle-aged Canadian tourists who rocked up to the T Break tent halfway through the set decked in red and white jester hats and bomber jackets emblazoned with "Toronto Maple Leaves", clearly expecting to find a taste of home.

Whatever happened to IDLEWILD? It wasn't so long ago that the world looked theirs for the taking. Now we find Roddy Woomble singing the once brittily brilliant Roseability as though he's serenading a sheepdog in his favourite Highland retreat. Even Rod Jones' scissor-kicks look like half-hearted attempts to cling on to the memory that Idlewild were once a rock band, and a very good one at that. 100 Broken Windows? Somebody better take a look at that.

T in the Park gives The Pop Cop our first eagerly-awaited opportunity to see CAMERA OBSCURA live but within a few minutes we wonder why we even bothered making the long trek to the Futures tent. The band shuffle on stage with their faces tripping them, singer Tracyanne Campbell whinges "apparently this is the future" and as beautiful as their songs are, they do nothing to deserve the enthusiastic response from their fans. What an ungrateful bunch. Are they always this miserable? Later that night keyboard player Carey Lander tweets "I hate festivals. So there." Happy enough to pick up the cheque, though.

Camera Obscura could certainly take a few lessons in entertainment value from the YEAH YEAH YEAHS. Karen O sprints onto the Radio 1/NME Stage sporting an outlandish winged frock and dares the crowd to match her levels of bonkersness. They bring out the East Kilbride Pipe Band to play bagpipes during the last two minutes of Skeletons, before whipping the crowd into a frenzy for set-closer Date With The Night which is so manic they can (just) be forgiven for playing a stripped-down version of Maps.

KINGS OF LEON are in their rightful place, headlining the Main Stage, which is precisely where you want to see your rock 'n' roll heroes. Sex On Fire and Use Somebody will undoubtedly be two of the songs which will define this decade's music, but it's somehow reassuring that it has taken them four albums to get to these heights. Greatness should be earned. And the fact that Matthew Followill can pull off playing guitar while drinking from a straw proves they're still cool as fuck.

SATURDAY

MUMFORD & SONS are an inspired choice to kick off the second day's proceedings at TITP, being the perfect post-hangover pick-me-up, all lush harmonies and gorgeous melodies. We've said it on these pages before, but their debut album (scheduled for release in October) is shaping up to be an absolute classic with the likely inclusion of majestic songs such as The Cave, Sigh No More, Little Lion Man and Awake My Soul.

PAOLO NUTINI has raised his game immeasurably since we last saw him at the Barrowlands in 2006. This is the guy who used to settle his pre-concert nerves by getting wasted then spend entire gigs singing at his shoes like some rambling drunk. But he has sorted himself out and he nails his Main Stage appearance to perfection with a performance of real maturity and class.

"I've waited ten years tae see this band. Tim is a legend. A pure legend!" A football top-wearing ned standing next to me three rows from the front is possibly more excited about the prospect of watching JAMES than I am. And that's very excited indeed. When Ring The Bells bursts out of the giant speakers I expect some sort of unrestrainable one-man pandemonium from my new best friend; instead, I turn around and notice that his eyes have welled up and he's just standing there, utterly affected by the experience. It's possibly the most moving thing I've ever seen at T in the Park.

The good ship BROKEN RECORDS have 25 minutes to convert another batch of new fans at the BBC Introducing stage. For long-time supporters like The Pop Cop, the airing of a previously unheard song with a working title of Encore - tantalisingly described as "the next single" by frontman Jamie Sutherland - is most rewarding. Driven by a scratchy violin riff, the song is played fast and is as instantly appealing as anything the Edinburgh band have done, i.e. perfect radio material. With a bit of luck (they've got everything else going for them) it might be the one that breaks them into the wider population's consciousness.

It's standing room only in the King Tut's Tent for GLASVEGAS, who are to blame for the embarrassing chants of "Here we fucking go" that populated T in the Park sets throughout the weekend. The 'working-class heroes' with the £100 Ray-Ban sunglasses open with a monumental Geraldine, with reverb and guitar squalls bouncing off the canvas, not to mention several litres of alcohol hurled into the air by their moronic followers. They bring on Angela McCluskey, who looks and sings like someone's gran, to absolutely murder The Proclaimers classic Sunshine On Leith. The Pop Cop leaves in protest, but not before one Glasvegas fan uses the side of the tent as a toilet. Honestly, Scotland would be a better place without this band.

Celtic and Scotland footballer Scott Brown necks the drinks backstage at T in the Park

Thankfully THE KILLERS save the day with a crowd-pleasing 100-minute performance, the pick of the bunch being its bookends - Human and When You Were Young. As a unit The Killers are never anything other than flawless musicians so there's always a risk they might be going through the motions, but tonight Brandon Flowers is in engaging form and it's job done from the Las Vegas boys.

SUNDAY

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM'S Brian Fallon must be the most content singer of any rock group we've ever seen - he smiles when he talks, he smiles when he sings, he smiles when he's just standing still. Maybe it's because his band - and their stupendous second album The '59 Sound in particular - are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Or maybe it's because today is his fifth wedding anniversary. "She's stuck with me even though we make no money," Fallon tells the audience. "Thanks to you guys for making my wife's mum not think I'm a chump!"

THE SCRIPT are today's James Morrison, although they do at least have a couple of undeniably brilliant, catchy songs in Breakeven and The Man Who Can't Be Moved. Resistance is futile - god knows we've tried.

REGINA SPEKTOR isn't usually this unchatty but maybe she's daunted by the size of the crowd hanging on her every word in the King Tut's Tent. Backed by a violin, cello and drums and, of course, her classical piano playing, she finally seems to have found the perfect musical arrangement to showcase her sublime talents. The reaction to the heartbreaking Samson takes the New Yorker aback, with wild applause lasting long after the final note has ended.

The Main Stage is strangely subdued for BLOC PARTY. They just seem out of their depth. For starters they've never managed to figure out how to play their songs in a way that sounds anywhere near as fulfilling as on record, and if you have to ask the crowd if they are having fun three times - as Kele Okereke did - then you know something's not quite right.

The atmosphere doesn't pick up too much for ELBOW, but at least they can put it down to the mellowness of their songs. To their credit, they introduce the 'reverse Mexican wave' to T in the Park (entire audience puts their hands in the air then ducks down from front to back) and you can't really go wrong with ending your set with On A Day Like This.

WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS are starting a riot in a packed T Break tent, and if there were any questions over how popular this young band have become in such a short space of time then here was the answer. The crowd sang back every word like a football anthem and the sheer unstoppable energy of their performance brought back memories of Idlewild when they were punkish upstarts.

Why SNOW PATROL were billed as co-headliners is a mystery. It's hard to say who their lacklustre performance bored most - the band or the audience, most of whom seemed willing to tolerate their set as it meant getting decent tactical position for Blur. The lack of fanfare that greeted anything they played from their most recent album A Hundred Million Suns pretty much sums up how far and fast their star has fallen.

You have to feel for MY COUSIN I BID YOU FAREWELL, who are bestowed the dubious honour of headlining T Break at the same time as the final night's main attractions. The tent may be sparsely filled but the triple salvo of Neverland, The Contented Hearts and What We Are Eating Tonight makes it a privilege, not a sacrifice for those who made the effort to watch them.

Every great story needs a dramatic ending and BLUR certainly provided that. The sight of Graham Coxon on his back during Beetlebum, wrestling with his guitar on the floor just hours after he had risen from his hospital bed with food poisoning, summed up just how special their appearance was for all sorts of reasons. After Country House, Damon Albarn asks "do you want another one like that?" before launching into Parklife. When that ends, he repeats the question. The cheers are even louder as the iconic drum beat of Song 2 intensifies into a blitz of chaos. Albarn grins wildly as the crowd catches its breath. "That was the best ever," he says. The best ever, in fact, is saved till last with The Universal, as Blur bid a stirring, magical farewell for possibly the last time. It really did happen.

All photos © The Pop Cop

4 James - Ring The Bells
4 The Killers - Under The Gun
4 Mumford & Sons - The Cave
4 Paolo Nutini - It Must Be Love (Madness cover)

Weekend Anthem

4 Thomas Western - Your Front Door

Hometown: Derbyshire, England
Hear more: http://www.myspace.com/thomaswestern
Pigeonhole: Daniel Johnston, Tim Buckley
Buy more: Quite Early One Morning EP (iTunes)

Step Away From The Computer #9: T in the Park

The police have a blimp which floats above T IN THE PARK with their cameras trained on the chaos below. What they'll see from up there is as accurate a snapshot of Scotland's youth as you could find - teenagers running about like maddies, personal hygiene non-existent and alcohol consumption levels that make a mockery of the RDA.

That may seem a little intimidating, but T in the Park is generally very safe, incredibly good-natured and, this year certainly, rammed full of the biggest bands walking the planet.

Location:
Balado, Kinross.

Fascinating fact:
One for the ladies: There is a little-known toilet at T in the Park that includes hair dryers, straighteners and freshening-up products. It's signposted "Refresh" and is situated between the Futures Stage and the campers entrance. Oh and it also costs £2 to use it.

Date:
Friday, July 10 - Sunday, July 12.

Weather forecast:
Friday
morn-afternoon-evening

Saturday
morn-afternoon-evening

Sunday
morn-afternoon-evening


Festival history:
This is its 16th year.

Total number of acts:
167

Cost of a ticket:
£182.42

So each act is worth:
£1.09

Big-hitters:
Kings Of Leon, The Killers, Blur, Snow Patrol.

Organiser's propaganda:
"Healthy T is the place to unwind with the most delicious, nutritious food from around the globe, all at a price which won't hurt your pocket". Organic burger: £5.

Must-hear:
4 Blur - The Universal (Sunday, 9pm, Main Stage)
4 Bloc Party - Flux (French Version) (Sunday, 4pm, Main Stage)
4 Broken Records - Thoughts On A Picture (Saturday, 7.15pm, BBC Introducing Stage)
4 Elbow - Grounds For Divorce (Sunday, 5.30pm, Main Stage)
4 Regina Spektor - Laughing With (Sunday, 3.40pm, King Tut's Tent)
4 We Were Promised Jetpacks - Back To The Bare Bones (Sunday, 6.3opm, T Break Stage)
4 The Gaslight Anthem - Old White Lincoln (Sunday, 12.50pm, Radio 1 NME Stage)
4 General Fiasco - Ever So Shy (Sunday, 2.05pm, Futures Tent)
4 Maximo Park - Apply Some Pressure (Friday, 7.10pm, Main Stage)
4 Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps (Friday, 8.40pm, Radio 1 NME Stage)

Weekend Anthem

4 Hello Saferide - I Was Definitely Made For These Times

Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden
Hear more: http://www.myspace.com/saferide
Pigeonhole: Camera Obscura, Emmy The Great

Step Away From The Computer #8: Electric Bay

ELECTRIC BAY is the most secretive music event in Scotland - and for good reason. Run by Dundee-based band Make Sparks, the local council and police have banned the organisers from advertising it because it's classed as a "private party" not a festival (for legal reasons). Even the Electric Bay homepage is a private Bebo site that you can only view if you add them as a friend.

Having grown in size from a tent in a field to a beach and surrounding farmland, the capacity has doubled this year to 500, with most punters only aware of the event through word of mouth.

Location:
Lunan Bay, near Montrose.

Fascinating fact:
Make Sparks were the last ever Scottish band to play legendary New York venue CBGBs.

Date:
Friday, July 3 - Saturday, July 4.

Weather forecast:
Friday

Saturday


Festival history:
This is its third year.

Total number of acts:
25

Cost of a ticket:
£45 - available by emailing ailsalaurie@hotmail.com or calling 07932 544912

So each act is worth:
£1.80

Big-hitters:
The Xcerts, Sucioperro, Unicorn Kid, The Hazey Janes, Jocasta Sleeps.

Organiser's propaganda:
"Festival? What festival?"

Must-hear:
4The Xcerts - Growing Old (Saturday, 21.00)
4Jocasta Sleeps - Beautiful Dreams (Friday, 22.45)
4The Hazey Janes - Get Down (Saturday, 00.15)

Live review: Silversun Pickups @ Oran Mor, Glasgow

How do you gauge the popularity of a band like SILVERSUN PICKUPS? Their deliciously dirty rock songs have earned some priceless pop culture cameos on video games Guitar Hero and Rock Band as well as The OC, but the Californians themselves have only sporadically popped their heads above the parapets of the American underground in their 10-year existence.

Clearly the promoters who lured them to Glasgow were caught by surprise at the appetite in Scotland for their über-cool Sonic Youth meets Smashing Pumpkins anthems, having originally booked the quartet to play at the smaller Stereo before hastily upscaling the venue to Oran Mor.

Brian Aubert certainly lives up the role of big-time frontman, possessing just the right amount of roguish charm that lets him get away with refusing to high-five a fan ("I'm contractually not allowed to touch you") while regaling the crowd with a tale about an ill-fated introduction to the evils of Buckfast on a previous visit to the country.

Silversun Pickups' stock has soared this year on the back of their well-received second album Swoon and two of its meatier highlights, the jaggedly atmospheric The Royal We and single Panic Switch, do little to help the moisture situation among the sweat-drenched fans on a sticky, humid night.

But that's nothing compared to the frenzy that greets their signature tune Lazy Eye - from debut record Carnavas - which is still head, shoulders and any other body part you care to mention above every other song in their set, with blasts of punch-the-air guitar distortion whirling around Nikki Monninger's classic bassline and Aubert's quite wonderful shriek. You could listen to Lazy Eye every day for the rest of your life and die happy. That's not a bad idea actually.

4 Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye
4 Silversun Pickups - Kissing Families
b December 14, SECC, Glasgow (supporting Placebo) (tickets)