Brian’s Mixtape #10: Nymphs and Harpies

We don’t want to cause too much upset amongst fans of Brian, but the poor feathered lothario’s had his heart broken recently, and he’s become obsessed with, well, girls. Not just the lovely ones either. He’s had ‘Toxic Girl’ by Kings of Convenience on repeat in the office so many times this week that we’re all beginning to hate the bitches, and we are mostly of the oestrogen-rich variety of person here at FFS HQ.

Single: Wild Beasts – All the Kings Men

What can I say about Wild Beasts that have not been said already? This is a band that has taken us all by surprise. They are teasers and challengers to and of the senses and the preconceptual ideas of the laws of anticipation and music formulas of best practice. ‘All the Kings Men’ is a supreme delight – it is like the cherry on the cake, like the feeling you get when getting a shy kiss on the cheek from that beautiful girl at high school or like the giggles of a baby when it’s being tickled.

Album: The Young Republic – Balletesque

End Of The Road Records’ flagship band, The Young Republic, have returned with their second album. Stuffed full with virtuoso performances and the kind of epic orchestral arrangements not seen since The Arcade Fire’s debut. Balletesque has all of the hard-hitting edge of their debut 12 Tales From Winter City but is even more glorious for its complexity and softness.