Wednesday, August 19, 2009

New Music: Speech Debelle, War Tapes, Darlings

Speech Debelle may be an unfamiliar name stateside, but in her native UK she has been nominated for the Mercury Prize, an album of the year award that shines light on ascending talents. Speech Therapy is a treat, fully of jazzy backdrops and Ms. Debelle’s hard-swinging cockney.

Speech Debelle, “The Key”

I don’t know much about the band War Tapes, but they make a hellacious synth-heavy racket, combining a solid pop sensibility with just the appropriate amount of menace.

War Tapes, “The Night Unfolds” buy The Continental Divide

I’m a sucker for the laconic, studied cool practiced by the legion of New York bands that have adopted their best Velvet Underground pose over the past four decades. The latest band in the lineage is called Darlings, and their Yeah I Know album has been working its way under my skin for the past few weeks.

Darlings, “Teenage Girl”

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