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One of my favorite '80s acts is Echo & the Bunnymen. What has proven amazing about the band is how they have managed to keep making records and touring for the last twenty plus years. Even more amazing is the fact that these later year albums don't suck. The last year has seen the band playing it's 1985 classic Ocean Rain at the Royal Albert Hall, with similar shows following shortly after in New York at Radio City Music Hall and the massive new arena in their native Liverpool. The sell outs garnered great reviews. And now comes a brand new record, "The Fountain", out on October 12th in the UK. The band are also touring the US in late October & early November.

Singer Ian McCulloch recently told writer Pat Gilbert "This one was exciting to make. I felt excited to think of the Bunnymen as exciting again. I've re-found my spite, some might call it angst. I prefer to think of it as spite. This album is about something, rather than just sounding like it's about something. It's about having lived life, but still feeling like a kid. I'm a not traditional songwriter. What I do at my best is poetry." When asked how he rated The Fountain in terms of the Bunnymens other albums Mac smiles - "Its the best thing we've done since Ocean Rain"

Now Ian has always had a monster ego but I am sometimes willing to cut him some slack. This is largely due to the fact that the music he & guitarist Will Sergeant have been making all of these years has been consistantly good. From what I've heard of the new record, this might have to be one of those times. Here is a little taster...

Echo & the Bunnymen - Think I Need It Too
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Synth pop duo Junior Boys are touring the US and Canada during Oct/Nov in support of their latest album Begone Dull Care. There is also a new single coming this fall on Domino Records, featuring Modeselektor and Prins Thomas remixes of “Bits and Pieces” and “Work”. The label sent an mp3 of the very tasty Prins Thomas remix for your auditory pleasure...________

Junior Boys - Work (Prins Thomas Remix)

New Music Tuesday

Junior Boys - HazelCanadian duo Junior Boys release their 3rd album Begone Dull Care today. I'm a big fan of their lush, melancholic electro pop songs. They channel the best of the '80s into their sleek, romantic synth pop. Their debut Last Exit was a blog and critics fave, as was it's follow up So This is Goodbye. Each record has seen them grow from their more abstract beginnings into a full on pop act. Their latest looks to continue that tradition, being their most poptastic record to date. It was inspired by Scottish-Canadian animator and electronic composer Norman McLaren's short film Begone Dull Care. He specialized in direct film animation, which is to physically manipulate or paint on the actual frames of the film. Junior Boys employ a similarly meticulous approach to programming and sequencing their music, and an album title was born. The first single is Hazel, and it will be getting a full release later in the spring with 3 remixes by Ewan Pearson. It is a sweet slice of tight '80s flavored electro with more than a hint of romantic yearning. It will be interesting to see how critics react to the more straight forward approach of this album - I like it. The band are currently on tour in the US with label mate Max Tundra. If you buy the digital version on iTunes you get a bonus exclusive Prins Thomas remix of "Work".

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I 8tracked up a great mix of finely aged tunes from the baggydelic/rave era of the late '80s. Its a dozen of my faves - I'm not giving any names or tracklists here. Listen, love and tell which of your faves I forgot to include...

Funky Friday Four Pack

I've had a craptacularly crappy week. I haven't had time to post once. Life has been speeding by, with every moment filled with activity. Yowsah. Thank goodness it's Friday, because lord knows I need a break from the drudgery. Here are some fantastic new tunes to get you dancing your way into the weekend.

Junior Boys - Like A Child (Carl Craig Remix)
The Dead Horse EP
Carl sprinkles minimalism all over this, and in the end it is 10 minutes and 39 seconds of techno bliss.

Bonde Do Role - Marina Do Bairro
With Lasers
Fat electro from the forthcoming LP from these Brazilian blogger favorites. A very enjoyable album.

Justice - New Jack
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The current faves of the music blogosphere - all you need to do is check out the Hype Machine's Popular Blog Tracks to see that. Despite all of the hype, it is a record that is largely worthy of your attention.

Amerie - Some Like It
Because I Love It
Amerie sings over a backing track constructed from samples of Malcolm McClaren's World's Famous, taken from his seminal debut album Duck Rock. Produced by Trevor Horn, performed by him and his cohorts (who went on to become Art Of Noise), it is a prime slice of 1983 NYC flavored electro. Inspired choice of source material indeed.