From the ashes of a number of former Brighton bands (amongst them The Agitator and The Perils) comes Maker, a brand new quartet from the seaside town who are turning the clock back to 1977 or so with their revved up MOR power pop (and also their appearance, although we assume the two are intertwined).

Fronted by singer Lana McDonagh, it’s her sweet and melodic vocals which take centre stage on their songs (at least the three they’ve posted online so far). Bearing a striking resemblance to those of Stevie Nicks, Cyndi Lauper or latterly Lissie Maurus, you could quite easily imagine her getting stuck into “Go Your Own Way”, “Time After Time” or “In Sleep”, the standout track from Lissie’s 2010 debut.

Of the tracks they’ve shared with the public, “Missing”, with its upbeat pace, striking hook and three-and-a-half minute duration, is a pre-packaged hit just waiting to soundtrack a million (or more) five o’clock drives home. That’s not to dismiss it as mere Radio 2 fodder, however, we’re simply saying that the potential reach of this group is quite considerable.

Neither of the other two songs, “We Got It (All Worked Out)” and “Secret Heart”, display a dip in the quality control button, suggesting a band who already have a keen ear for what makes a viable, concise pop single (or have simply listened to Rumours a few times). No gigs have been announced at the time of writing, although with the interest in the band sure to reach palpable levels in the next month or two, we expect live appearances to be imminent.

Tags: BRIGHTON, Danny McGurn, Lana McDonagh, Maker, Missing, Secret Heart, We Got It (All Worked Out)

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Article source: http://laissezfaireclub.com/2012/02/introducing-maker/

Rummaging through the Facebook page of the last band we featured, Woe Flutter, we came across Redspencer – another Gold Coast group who look likely to be making waves over the the course of 2012.

The band are originally from down the road in Glen Innes, Northern New South Wales – population of 5,944 – and it’s perhaps an isolationist existence here in their formative years that informs their beautiful, sunny and tripped out psychedelia, which references everyone from fellow Aussies Tame Impala to The Beatles to Fleet Foxes.

Certainly, it’s not a brand of music you’d expect to be made by a band in a heaving metropolis, and with their lo-fi production and hazy vocals, you’re really whisked away to a place where the pace of life is significantly slower that what you’re used to (assuming you live in London, like us).

“Sally Forgets Good Times” and “Happy Slow Riverbends” are the two tracks in the public domain – and both, with their real throwback feel, conjure up images of Woodstock, the early Isle Of Wight festivals and Vietnam War movies. The latter isn’t short of mean pop hooks, either, and could well be a major calling card for the band as they bring their laid back and soothing sounds to the world at large – which, on the current evidence, would be most welcome indeed.

Sally Forgets – Redspencer by Deaf Ambitions

MP3: Redspencer – Happy Slow Riverbends

Tags: Glen Innes, Gold Coast, Happy Slow Riverbends, Redspencer, Sally Forgets Good Times, Triple J Unearthed

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Article source: http://laissezfaireclub.com/2012/02/introducing-redspencer/

I was recently interviewed by the good people at Killing Moon Limited (a great London based label / blog / club night) about all things Laissez Faire Club – its inception, the live nights and the singles label are amongst the topics discussed. Click on the image above to read the full piece!

Tags: Interview, Jeremy Lloyd, Killing Moon Limited, LAISSEZ FAIRE CLUB

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Article source: http://laissezfaireclub.com/2012/02/interview-with-laissez-faire-club-on-killing-moon-limited/

Following on from our announcement a few weeks back that The Static Jacks would be touring Europe this month, they’ve added several new dates in both the UK and on the continent.

As before, the run includes three dates supporting The Wombats, which will make TSJ the first LFC Records band to play at the O2 Academy in Brixton, and now there are also shows supporting Band Of Skulls (at London’s XOYO), as well as fellow countrymen Grouplove (in Brighton) and Howler (in Paris).

The band are on the road to promote their debut full-length, “If You’re Young”, which is out through Fearless Records on 5 March. The double A-sided 7″ vinyl of “Into The Sun” / “Mercy, Hallelujah” (which we put out late last year) will be on sale on the tour, or you can pick one up before it all kicks off, from our shop.

Check out this video of the band finishing their set at Koko in November with “Into The Sun”:

Tags: 02 Academy Brixton, Club NME, Fearless Records, Fenway Recordings, Fleche d’Or, Grouplove, Howler, If You’re Young, Into The Sun, Koko, Magnet, Mercy Hallelujah, The Static Jacks, The Wombats

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Article source: http://laissezfaireclub.com/2012/02/the-static-jacks-uk-tour-feb-2012/

Over the last few years, Australia has really cemented its reputation as a fertile breeding ground for new and exciting indie bands, particularly in light of the current commercial success of groups like The Temper Trap, Cloud Control and The Jezabels (following on from The Vines, Jet and Wolfmother, of course).

Next in line are quite possibly Woe Flutter, a youthful quartet from The Gold Coast who play an infectious and alluring brand of scuzzy, lo-fi garage rock and have been recently snapped up by the great Sydney based label Ivy League Records (also home to Cloud Control, Alpine and LFC live favourites Deep Sea Arcade).

An immediate comparison would be to their fellow racket-making Aussies Bleeding Knees Club (who they’ve toured with at home), but on “Cities Of The Red Night” – an apparent Triple J favourite – they give off the raw energy of Nirvana, Queens Of The Stone Age or The White Stripes.

It’s not all breathless stuff – on tracks like the beautiful “Can’t Move The Sun” and the three-minute power pop of “Why It’s So” they hint at The Lemonheads circa It’s A Shame About Ray or Blue Album period Weezer. All these songs are taken from their debut EP (out in October last year), which suggest, as well as an already impressive versatility, a frightening level of potential and a very bright road ahead.

Can’t Move The Sun by woeandflutter

Why It’s So by woeandflutter

Tags: Cities Of The Red Night, Gold Coast, Ivy League Records, Triple J, Winterman Goldstein, Woe Flutter

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Article source: http://laissezfaireclub.com/2012/02/introducing-woe-flutter/

Back in June, we tipped you lot off about a promising Chicago outfit called Merlin Wall. We’re back in the Windy City with our latest discovery, electro-pop three piece Dozens, who seem to have been doing the rounds in their hometown for just under a year now, and suggest there’s something quite exciting going on in the underground of the USA’s third most populous city.

One of their tracks, “Sounds Of Your Lovers” (which was released on 7″ last summer via US indie DreamBait Recordings) has been on repeat all weekend – on the laptop, in the car, or wherever else we were able to plug the iPod in.

Coming across all Foster The People, Empire Of The Sun, Passion Pit and a little bit Miami Horror, this is an exuberant, arms aloft – and ultimately summery – noise, that wouldn’t have been out of place on the The OC back in the day. In any case, it’ll leave an indelible mark in your consciousness after just one listen, so insistent is its chorus.

We’re in familiar territory, of course, and this certainly won’t have any music theorists scratching their heads in bemusement any time soon. But it will have a lot of fans of the genre, like us, turning our heads and wondering what might come next from the band.

MP3: Dozens – Sounds Of Your Lovers

Tags: Chicago, Dozens, DreamBait Recordings, Sounds Of Your Lovers

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Article source: http://laissezfaireclub.com/2012/01/introducing-dozens/

Jake Mattison is a Manchester based singer-songwriter with one of those drop-what-you’re-doing kind of voices. Not since the first time we heard the likes of Marcus Mumford, Damien Rice or Ben Howard have we been so startled, and indeed, dropped what we were doing to stare at the device from which the arresting sound was emanating.

Mattison’s vocal does possess the raw beauty of these successful artists, albeit perhaps with a rawer edge, that really suggests he’s got a story to tell.

We assume he’s been penning songs and performing them to people for at least a little while, perhaps mainly in his native North West, but a short run of dates with Emeli Sande in November last year has brought this rather exceptional talent into the public limelight, and has set up 2012 as a potential breakthrough year.

There are a handful of demos online at present, which hint at something much bigger, but in the meantime check out this wonderful cover of Gil Scott Heron’s 1971 classic “Home Is Where The Hatred Is”, where Mattison comes off complementing, rather than aping, the late great.

MP3: Jake Mattison – Your’re Too Old

Tags: Emeli Sande, Gil Scott Heron, Home Is Where The Hatred Is, Jake Mattison, Manchester

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Article source: http://laissezfaireclub.com/2012/01/introducing-jake-mattison/

“A Year” is Channel Cairo’s uplifting and emotive new track, which they’ve been locked away recording since the release of “Elephant Room” through Laissez Faire Club Records last summer.

You might remember it from its first incarnation as the band’s encore for their sold-out Borderline show last September. We’re picturing the band playing the song in large fields before the year is up, raising lighters and perhaps inducing a tear or two along the way.

Before that happens though, Channel Cairo return to the live scene at HMV’s Next Big Thing Festival at The Garage on Monday 6 February, supporting Atticus Anthem and Tellison. Tickets are available here.

Tags: A Year, Channel Cairo, HMV Next Big Thing, LAISSEZ FAIRE CLUB, Upstairs at The Garage

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Article source: http://laissezfaireclub.com/2012/01/brand-new-channel-cairo-a-year/

There’s not a huge amount to say about Fast Years at this moment in time, given that they’re yet to appear live in any setting and have just two tracks available online.

What we do know is they’re a garage rock quartet from Brooklyn (another day, another Brooklyn band indeed), and that one of the said songs, “Young Heart” is a mile-a-minute, hook-a-plenty, good time jam that’s got us hot under the collar just now.

It’s essentially the sound of The Mooney Suzuki and The Von Bondies joining each other on stage at a heaving, sweat filled venue circa 2002-2003, say, after a Caesars DJ set in between the bands (where they play Jerk It Out). One hell of an evening, in other words.

Of course, with this genre of Ramones-aping rock being heavily popularised by The Vaccines, and now Howler (who the band are actually supporting for their first ever show, at Brooklyn’s Cameo Gallery, this Friday 20th), we’re guessing that Fast Years will slot right into 2012′s indie rock landscape without anyone so much as batting an eyelid. Which from what we’ve heard so far, can only be a good thing.

MP3: Fast Years – Young Heart

Tags: Brooklyn, Cameo Gallery, Fast Years, Howler, Young Heart

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Article source: http://laissezfaireclub.com/2012/01/introducing-fast-years/

We’re extremely excited to announce that The Static Jacks will tour the UK next month, following on from their introductory shows at the end of November.

The run includes three dates supporting The Wombats, which will make TSJ the first LFC Records band to play at the O2 Academy in Brixton, and one with fellow countrymen Grouplove in Brighton.

The band are on the road to promote their debut full-length, “If You’re Young”, which is out through Fearless Records on 5 March. The double A-sided 7″ vinyl of “Into The Sun” / “Mercy, Hallelujah” (which we put out late last year) will be on sale on the tour, or you can pick one up before it all kicks off, from our shop.

Check out a the band finishing their set at Koko in November with “Into The Sun”:

Tags: 02 Academy Brixton, Club NME, Fearless Records, Fenway Recordings, Fleche d’Or, Grouplove, Howler, If You’re Young, Into The Sun, Koko, Magnet, Mercy Hallelujah, The Static Jacks, The Wombats

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Article source: http://laissezfaireclub.com/2012/01/the-static-jacks-uk-tour-feb-2012/