Week #11: Polock / Comodo. / Breathe Out / Adventure

First up are Polock, some Phoenix-aping European freak-poppers, who, in 'Fireworks', offer us deftly and blissfully arranged harmonies speaking sweet, whimsical utterances, backed by a disco beat, a neat little keyboard jingle and a couple of reverb-stricken guitars. Altogether it's a pretty remarkable little pop gem. I can't believe I missed it when it was first released last year. To summate, think Hockey covering Phoenix, but if they were Spanish, trendy as hell and equipped with utterly miasmic tuneage. They play SXSW this month. Watch a new video for the song here:

Comodo is the pseudonym of Bury St. Edmunds-based eclecticist Oli Shilling. You may already know him as co-founder of the Sucking Lemons webzine, but he is also making waves through creating music. For instance, take 'To The Sun', a sublime jam that seamlessly segues from clickety post-dubstep-esque beats to trippy acoustic guitar loops, encompassing everything from the wonky to the psychedelic. The song chiefly revolves around a simple sample from James Vincent McMorrow's 'If I Had a Boat', whose soulful voice is most apt for this superbly angular rework. Oli is bound to garner much blog attention this year. Below are the aforementioned track and newbie 'On My Mind'.

Thirdly, I present Breathe Out, whose jokingly frank name perfectly represents their fantastic, fuzz-bleared blend of grunge and punk. Their self-titled EP debut is being released on Art Is Hard, the upcoming DIY label, who are now renowned for their atypical release formats. Whether it be their recent compilation which was released on T-shirt (yes, not CD, not 12", but T-shirt) or the trilogy of tape EPs from My Name Is Ian, they will never cease to amaze. This EP is being released as a photozine, of course. All very unconventional, but all very cool, you'll have to admit. The highlights come via the melancholic shoegaze of 'Ride the Waves' and the maniacal J Mascis-esque guitars of 'Green Milk'. Stream the EP below. Find out what a photozine is here.

I google Adventure, but what do I get? A fantasy video game called 'Adventure Quest'.... There's very little about these guys on the net, so I'm sorry if I'm not very informative.

But I have now done some digging and here are some facts I've since found out about the real Adventure: they're from Baltimore, Maryland, they say they make 'electronic' music, they're also playing SXSW this month and most importantly, by way of 'Rio', their new single, they've written a damn splendiferous tune. It's taken from an LP entitled 'Lesser Known', released on Carpark on March 22nd, which I certainly recommend you buy.