Christmas Countdown // The Maccabees :: Walking In The Air

In a valiant attempt to trump Jona Lewie's Stop the Cavalry as No Action's favourite Christmas song, perennially under-rated The Maccabees have recorded a haunting, dramatic version of Walking In The Air. Staying true to the original, it's take off at just under two minutes in is spectacular, while Orlando's voice is a perfect fit with its mix of innocence and unhinged portent.

Smith Westerns // Weekend II

Further to our post declaring Smith Western's new single Weekend as the boys' finest, shiniest pop achievement to date, they've further whetted our excitement for the new album with a quite brilliant video. A typical Western weekend apparently includes video arcades, Claire's Accessories, cheese-slathered nachos and tree felling. I know what I'll be doing come Saturday.

Arbutus Records

Prompted by the semi-religious experience of seeing Canada's foremost alt-rockers Arcade Fire at the O2 temple this week, No Action set out to discover where the new wave of Canadian music was brewing.

Step forward Outremont, Quebec's Arbutus Records. Spawned from the now-defunct Montreal art collective Lab Synthese, its raison d'etre is to showcase the DIY musical talents nurtured there and offer a home to the weird and wonderful Quebec pop community. Here's a sample from but three of said talents.

Grimes - a debut EP good enough for GvsB's top 30 says it all for the year Caroline Boucher, aka Grimes, has had. Geidi Primes is a record full of unexpected joys, a study in understatement and psychedelic samples, followed up by a second record, Halfaxa, of ethereal wonder.
Grimes - Rosa by Arbutus Records

Silly Kissers - If you thought that Kisses made the best electro pop record of the year with a snogging related band name, you'd be wrong. It was, infact, Silly Kissers. Precious Necklace is but seven songs long, but each is brimming with playful John Hughes film score synths and playground love lyrics.


Silly Kissers - Treat Me Like You Do by Arbutus Records

Sean Nicholas Savage - If Sean Nicholas Savage had room for more middle names they'd be Pop Troubador. Stripped to its bare bones without excess or distraction, Savage's infectious, melodies and lyrical flair are bonafide genius. Warning: If you listen to the video below, from Savage's Mututal Feelings of Respect and Admiration LP, you will be singing it all day.


Sean Nicholas Savage - Disco Dancing by Arbutus Records

Christmas countdown // The Futureheads :: Christmas Was Better in the 80s

A fact, which I firmly refute on the grounds that it only serves to confirm my own rapid aging but that their PR insists, is that The Futureheads are 10.

To celebrate both this anniversary and that of Jesus, the band are putting out new single Christmas Was Better in the 80s via their own Nul Records. Sounding firmly like The Futureheads have for the last 10 years, all likeable art-rock and four part harmonies, but with a twist of Christmas jingle, it's a satisfying reminder both that the band still have the verve they delivered on their debut and that not all Christmas songs are rubbish.

Callers // How You Hold Your Arms

What better way to follow Here We Go Magic than with another offspring from the ever fertile womb that is Brooklyn, New York.

Three piece Callers released acclaimed new record 'Life Of Love' in October on Western Vinyl, which offered up the heart-breakingly sparse new single How You Hold Your Arms. Sara Lucas' vocals take on a tragic loneliness given the bare, jazz influenced arrangements, making the 'look' she gives you at the end of the accompanying video-within-a-video all the more haunting.

Here We Go Magic // Casual

From one of the best records of 2010 comes the most unpredictable video of 2010. If you were exoecting that, perhaps you should sign up for the next Here We Go Magic single.

Fixers // Amsterdam

Oxfordshire's Fixers are probably the first thing to come up if you typed "Positive dreamy" or "How I would most like to wake up" into Google. Or maybe "What would it sound like if 'Smile' era Brian Wilson recorded Simple Minds' Don't You?".

Amsterdam is a beautiful, expansive track, and the filmic video only adds to it's wonder. The band will be alongside fellow No Action favourites Get People and Cheatahs at Young and Lost Club's Christmas do in a few weeks, and watch for more dates in what is likely to be a big 2011 for them.

The Neat // Hips

Mixing the post punk agit of The Fall and XX Teens with the essential weirdness of La Shark, Hull's The Neat are rising nicely and preparing the release of new single Hips on Kaiser Chiefs' label Chewing Gum Records.

The video is an anxious, intense experience and, while while earlier track Youth Is Pleasure is probably superior, the band have much in their locker. They'll be in London three time in the next few weeks as they traverse the isles, and are definitely worth a look.

The Neat - In Youth Is Pleasure by The Cockpit

Local favourites // Drum Eyes

Minding my own business I was. Waiting for The Pipettes and minding my own business. Then, from the wings of the many-tunnelled sweat-box of Leeds' Cockpit, came DJ Scotch Egg armed with said picnic snack and a fearsome barrage of SNEStronica to temporarily blind me. Being average height (for a girl) I'm not a tall man, but fizzing through the armpits and shoulders of all before me like a Robin Hood arrow a bread-crumbed ball thundered into my right eye.

After this traumatic episode I'm loathed to hail the future projects of my nemesis, but Brighton based Drum Eyes are too good to ignore. Theirs is a world of boundless possibility, merging hardcore drums, 80s synths and a psychedelic take on structure to create music alien to convention. Their debut Gira Gira was out a few months back on Upset the Rhythm, but here's a taster of their madcappery.

Hot Chip // I Feel Bonnie

In what is the antithesis of the video for the single version of this track, here we not only get a hooded Bonnie Prince Billy's whispering backing vocals, but a splendidly be-capped Alexis and a prime view of Mr Joe Goddard's puppies (ahem, my apologies). A most pleasant five minutes.

Cloud Nothings // Leave You Forever

Cloud Nothings is a man. Let's get that straight. To his friends he's 19-year-old Dylan Baldi, and he makes bedroom garage anthems and brilliant record sleeves, such as this. Leave You Forever is but one part of his True Panther released 4-song EP of the same name and, of the host of excellent acts that have already been announced for SXSW 2011 and no doubt countless more to come, Cloud Nothings could well be the pick.

Dylan and band will be trading their wares with Les Savy Fav in London before the month is out, which will definitely be worth a watch.

Leave You Forever by truepanther

Sleep All Day Records

London label Sleep All Day Records featured, albeit briefly, on No Action as an aside to a featurette on the magnificent Colours. We felt it only right that the label backing some of the best and brightest first city talents should garner some plaudits of its own. So here's a brief dedication, highlighted through the works of its pedigree offspring, to Sleep All Day.

Weird Dreams meld 60s London pop with Johnny Marr riffs and the result is aural heaven. Their 'Weird Dreams EP' is below, but track down Hurt So Bad as well.
Weird Dreams ep by Weird Dreams

Perfect Hair Forever could well be No Action's favourite tack of the year, perfect gutter pop if ever there were such a thing.
03 Perfect Hair Forever by notcool

SAD have also gone fishing on the opposite side of the pond for their most recent output. Brooklyn's Byrds of Paradise are all discordant punk smash genius with an ear for crescendo. Barefoot Generation is out now. This is Rowena.
Rowena - Byrds of Paradise by kohar

Last up, some divine dream-surf from Colours, showing the West Coast how it's done.