Freebies. FREEBIES!

Loyal following, today I bring you an absolute treasure trove of high-quality independent music.

Daytrotter's helpfully self-explanatory motto is "One band a day, every day". In practice, this amounts to 28 free tracks from the Who's-not-quite Who of US indie rock.

Daytrotter's ethos is pretty admirable; whilst on tour, bands are asked to drop in for ramshackle sessions using borrowed instruments, dick around a bit, and emerge with an EP's worth of songs. Today brought four energetic songs from Young Buffalo, vivacious joy-rockers in the vein of Grizzly Bear or Vampire Weekend. The fantastically titled "Full Metal Whacket" is quite literally breathless, and totally compelling with its Lion King chanted harmonies and tribal drums. Of all the sessions to emerge from the Horseshack studio in Rock Island, Illinois (surely too good to be true?), this is one of the most vibrant.

Though its roster lacks genuinely big names, Daytrotter does deliver high-quality free music that'll open your eyes to some great new bands, unless you're really ahead of the curve.

The link is here, for the simple amongst you who missed it the first four times.

Beyoncé and Sleigh Bells to Team Up

Today brings the exciting, if slightly bizarre news that Beyoncé and Sleigh Bells are currently in studio under the Jerk-spiced wing of Major Lazer man Diplo. This unusual pairing is the latest example of a hookup between massive US R'n'B stars and their nerdier, whiter indie cousins.

Jamie Smith's decision to remix Gil Scott-Heron's latest LP, I'm New Here, was a fruitful one; the resulting shady eroto-funk was genuinely different and uplifting, even at its darkest. Jamie of The xx is also collaborating with mega-selling smooth-O Drake, with Florence Welch also rumoured to be involved.

The most daring (and best-praised) R'n'B/Rock hybrid album to emerge in recent-ish times, however, is surely Danger Mouse's The Grey Album, the now-famous merging of Beatles instrumentals with bars from Jay-Z's Black Album. It's well worth a listen: try this mashup of 'Yer Blues' and 'Moment of Clarity'.

Despite the recent form of crossover albums, I simply cannot see this latest collab working. Mixing bold American rap with understated British schmindie is easy enough, but Sleigh Bells, are a different proposition. They are genuinely, bowel-emptyingly loud. Despite her undoubted mastery of the pop song ('Crazy in Love' stands out), Beyoncé's last attempt to confound expectations, the lacklustre I Am...Sasha Fierce met with a tepid reception. Why should her joining forces with the maddest, noisiest shitslingers around be any different?

White Lies- Ritual- Album Review

The walking-pace drumbeat of ‘Is Love’, the opening track of White Lies’ second effort ‘Ritual’, sets the tone for what is, at least at first, a mind-numbingly pedestrian album. Two tracks in and the jaw-dropping irony of lines like “I gotta make this happen/I got a sense of urgency” suggests a new tack: White Lies have forgone depressive lyrics in favour of simply imposing depression on their listeners. Songs like ‘Peace & Quiet’ or lead single ‘Bigger Than Us’ will undoubtedly sound impressive emanating grandly from tinny stadium PA systems, but on record they sound insipid. That said, the album’s second half is a distinct improvement; ‘Come Down’ would sit well on the nightbus playlist of any au fait hipster, whereas ‘The Power & The Glory’ and ‘Bad Love’ share a similar introverted pensiveness. It’s a shame that White Lies don’t allow their more reflective side to show more often; it’s infinitely more attractive than their anaemic (stadium) filler.

Arctic Monkeys' New Album and Why You Should Care

After the runaway success of Arctic Monkeys' first two albums, expectation was high for the arrival in 2009 of their third effort, Humbug. The album itself received with significant critical acclaim and a slight popular 'meh'. Compared to Whatever People Say I Am... and Favourite Worst Nightmare the more contemplative moments of Humbug lacked the immediate, youthful energy that so excited listeners to their early recordings.

To an extent, this was inevitable: the Arctics were no longer teenage ragamuffins with tales of trouble from Sheffield's homes and clubs. They were growing up gracefully.

Humbug was almost criminally underrated; Arctic Monkeys have never been musically more in control than on contemplative tracks like 'Dance Little Liar' or 'Cornerstone', and Alex Turner never more lyrically perfect: 'She held me very tightly/till I asked awfully politely, please, can I call you her name?'

For those still hung up on fast and furious riffery, Humbug provided two heavy-hitting singles, 'My Propeller' and the fantastically dark 'Crying Lightning'. Arctic Monkeys still have a way with melody that ensures no matter how introspective and complex their songwriting becomes, they will deliver. The fact that their new album has James Ford returning as producer is excellent news; for all of its fantastic perceptiveness and neatness, Whatever People Say I Am... was somewhat one dimensional in its production, "unsubtle, one-dimensional noise", as Alan Wilder of Depeche Mode called it. Ford's production on the Arctics' second and third albums was measured and expansive. If he and the band progress with the same depth they have thus far, the new album could shape up to be the release of the year.

Bassless Assumption

Tips for 2011: Part 2

My second tip for 2011 could not be more different to my first. This man melds music in a way that is so studied, so intricate, so affecting and so ridiculously natural that it's hard to believe no-one has ever really come close to aping it.

He is, of course, James Blake.

James Blake is all about contravention. He makes dance music that is at its best when totally devoid of bass; songs like 'CYMK' and 'Air and Lack Thereof' bloom in the wasteland frequencies of electronica, the middle register. There are no euphoric Euro-Cheese hooks, no Calvin Harris synth-pokes and certainly no bass breaks designed to make your sternum implode (see: Pendulum). James Blake plays on emotions far deeper than simple joy or misery.

Blake's decision to sing on recent tracks is further proof of his willingness to take risks. Though there is much merit in earlier instrumentals or sample-based tracks, they fade into obscurity faster than garage did compared to his vocal performances. The only evidence you need for James Blake's inevitable rise to prominence is this:

James Blake - Limit To Your Love from James Blake on Vimeo.

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Something about the perfect depth of his voice, allied with the faintest hint of a London tang and Regina Spektor quivers just draws me in. The 'drop' from 2.30 to 2.45 is just as gut-wrenchingly bittersweet.

Where The Vaccines blast away passive resistance with a top-to-bottom water cannon approach, James Blake uses water torture. Two to watch without question; who do you prefer?

Vote at the top of the page on the right for your favourite.

Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's The Vaccines!

I am a sucker for hype. That is the truth. Not always, but a lot of the time.

That being the case, I never stood a chance against The Vaccines. I've resisted writing them up so far, but in the week that they announce details of their debut album and grace the cover of NME, it seems like the right time to give them a shout out.

The Vaccines are an intriguing mix of all kinds of brilliant musical tropes. They have the punk-rock song structure and shoutiness of The Stooges or Sex Pistols, but their appeal goes deeper than that. In lines like "English boy named, presupposing/Watch out man that door's a-closing" they display the kind of abstract lyrical touch favoured by Pavement.

Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra) by The Vaccines

Their songs are eminently singable but are open to interpretation, giving them depth, begging for analysis. Moreover, their arched eyebrow and taste for high-camp makes them compelling live, even on the toilet tours they're currently undertaking.

On top of all of that, frontman Justin Young's vocals drag the quartet's sound into the modern age. There's more than a touch of Interpol about his vocal delivery, and certainly enough to stop The Vaccines sounding like a tired retro throwback.

Basically, The Vaccines are the band The Drums could have been. If they weren't shit.

It's well worth checking out their official site here: www.thevaccines.org.uk

FREE ALBUM! I'm Too Good to You...

Yeasayer have just announced the release of a 'pay-what-you-like' live album, Live At Ancienne Belgique; I see this as good news for a couple of reasons. First off, it's basically a (potentially) free version of an album I've never quite been enthusiastic enough to buy. Second, it's really, really good. I'd definitely pay money for it. I mean, I didn't, but you know what I mean.

On listening to Yeasayer, you realise that Klaxons space-bullshit meets old school MGMT with frat-bro lyrics makes ridiculously good sense. The casually intelligent, mammoth songs like 'O.N.E' or 'Ambling Alp' have that Great American Storyteller feel, but John Cheever never had a UPI-555 sampler.

Yeasayer 1, American Literature 0.

Download these thirteen brilliant tracks here.