Scientists have determined that the Earth’s surface will not be able to support human life much longer, due to pollution and overpopulation. In 1957, Dr Carl Garstein proposed three alternative solutions. The first was a drastic reduction of the human population on Earth. The second, the construction of vast underground shelters. Alternative three?

I’ve just got back in from two weeks walking in the Highlands so I’m approaching some sort of spiritual zenith and have completely run out of time to do this, so this will be slightly shorter than normal. Um, new Sleep track, Damo Suzuki says “Vote Yes” to Scots, and some too-cool-for-yooz indie bandcamp stuff from Betrayers, Dolmenn and Swell. That’s it, can I go sleep? I have to write more? “Contractually obliged” you say? *sigh*

So Sleep are back, after years wandering the desert as part of OM, Al Cisneros has come back to the turn-of-the-millenium San Jose of his youth to garage jam with Matt Pike, late of a Viking holiday spent swinging an axe into the faces of audiences worldwide as part of the brutal and excellent High On Fire to produce the first official Sleep track since the epic ‘Dopesmoker’ (if you haven’t heard ‘Dopesmoker’, fix that) and it’s… different. ‘The Clarity’ opens with an angular electronic fuzz, and generally taking a more chiselled and considered tone compared to their earlier work. As a Sleep megafan, I’m not sure what this latest start means. They’ve been a renewed touring entity for some time (blew my eardrums out in Glasgow a couple of years ago) and I don’t know if I want some middle-aged money grabbing from my all-time-top-fives; that’s one part of Sabbath lore I’d be happy for Sleep to ignore. If you’re still jonesing for more dope-laden riffs thick enough to spread your marmite on, you’d do worse than checking out Wo Fat’s latest The Conjuring as it’s mighty good. Also a little band called DUEL released the promising first single ‘On the Edge’, it’s neat and groovy and pleasingly Melvinsey.

Fans of underproduced ‘black sludge’ metal with grinding buzzsaw guitars and scrofulous arcing vocals (nobody?) are invited to check out the free download of 'Ancient Vessel' by Tar Hag. Barely five minutes of live-sounding South Carolinan gore packed into a download. You all ought to be ashamed of yourselves. If you’re feeling tired and in want of something that caters to your expectations, rather than subverts them, you could do worse than the free download from DOLMENN of their latest; smooth stoner grooves do little more than iterate, but life is too short to continually push the envelope.

Finish yourself off with some thudding psyche courtesy of Canada’s Betrayers. Fluffy but chugging Canadian psyche the indie fopps aren’t rubbing themselves raw over? I know, I can’t believe it either. More inoffensive indie-type stuff can be procured with the re-release (on limited edition artefact vinyl no less) of Swell’s (41 is 20). It isn’t essential, but it’s a beautiful embellishment. I’m most excited by the sounds coming out of newbies Apache Sun, ‘The Rain That Never Came’ is faux Americana psyche down the line, but that doesn’t stop it being catchier than an international angling completion. Serpently seek out these Glasgow boys and keep them dialled, I predict greatness.

Nothing grabbed me much this month, that could be to do with me being in the Highlands for two weeks listening to nothing but the Dead Skeletons' b-sides…

Please indicate to me what I should be listening to by coughing your mucous-y cough through a stencil onto my bedroom window, or just tweet, you pedantic swine you.

Act now, and you too can regret following me on twitter @stevendinnie

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week: ‘Deep Into The Night’ by Ali Love (Hercules & Love Affair remix)

I really loved that Hercules and Love Affair album they put out this year. Just such a sassy record that one is. Haven’t heard the new Ali Love LP though, so curious to see how this is sounding. Now, when Andy Butler does his remixes he tends to veer to the tech-house side a bit, and the start of this track certainly seems to go into that direction. That vocal pom-pom-pom sound, though, is definitely genius, and just the right thing to balance the main vibe of this one out. That synth sound that comes in at about 1:40 also is more house than tech, and those vocals are just brilliantly soulful and remind me of Azari & III a bit. So, all of a sudden, this track has morphed into this soulful tune with, as main instrumental feel, that 90s industrial house sound. Don’t ask how he did that one, but I’m just glad because I was definitely worrying my ass off after that start. Around the four minute mark he starts this huge build-up with the sexy “I want you” line repeated over and over, and exactly at 5:00 he throws some warm beat and bass sounds in there for the clubbers to get down to. So much to love, so much to dance to.

‘It’s All Over’ by Pional (John Talabot remix)

I like Pional, I like John Talabot, so you know, how the heck can this go wrong, eh? There are some deep drums in the background that kind of create the canvas, and then you’ve got the synths, the bass, and the secondary percussion floating around to create the right rhythm and vibe. Love that almost trombone like synth sound that comes in at about 1:10, though it really are the fab deep rhythm sounds that run away with this one. Talabot just sneaks them in there so that you’re like “fuck yeah” as it gives another oomph to dance to. You get the vocals in there along with some lighter snare sounds, which are soon ditched for a sort of break with just the vocals and a deep main sound. Slowly you get some woodwork percussion in the background as it builds up to the break-and-release that happens at about 3:15. It’s just what you expect from a Talabot remix, really. Skilled, layered, and smooth deep house with plenty of atmosphere in there for people also to just enjoy aside from the dancefloor. He does know how to create that dance momentum though, it works on all kinds of levels really. At about 4:30 you get another break as the music almost goes church on you with that organ-ish sound, and I would lie if I’d say that I think the part after that is as impressive as the first 2/3rds of the whole thing. Then again, that wasn’t really possible with the first part being just that good,  now was it? I do like the very, very end of this thing though.

‘Drop the Top’ by NSFW

Let me go a bit patriotic on you with this one, as NSFW is from my home country. About ten seconds in you get the drums for the dancing, and about 30 seconds in you get the synths which almost seem to transport you into an '80s edit (especially with that little guitar riff and that dash of piano he throws in there as well). Next to the beat there’s also the bass for the rhythm and the moving of it, and you already hear the vocals coming, as NSFW introduces them slowly to the masses. Just after the two minute mark (and the first kind of break) those vocals truly come out, and instead of some '80s soul&funk track (where I honestly thought this one was going) you get this hipperdy-hopperdy MC style vocals that he curveballs its way towards you. Rest of the track (luckily) doesn’t adapt too much of that style though (though that piano sound in the fifth minute sure sounds '90s-kitsch all of a sudden), and it’s all just merry dancing on that catchy, funky sound. Free download people, by the way.

‘Let’s Stay Together’ (Jean Claude Gavri soulful relief re-edit)

You know it’s Jean Claude Gavri if it starts out with those rhythmic bongo’s right there. And if it is that man, you better ready yourself for another funky edit of some old track or another. This one is ‘Let’s Stay Together’ by, well, a female vocalist, singing that you need to stay together with her, Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad. A line which is followed by a mega saxophone, which I love. There’s just so much old school soul and funk in this track, but also with plenty of rhythm for you to do some dancing to. But the auxiliary sounds really give you the right vibe, and those female vocals are really going all out, and they’re giving plenty of room (and are actually helped by all those original instrumentals) to put her heart out there. And she’s got the girls with the mics behind her to back her up. Vocals galore, and you have the horns, the organ, the bass, the whole lot really, and this one is there to sing along to on the dancefloor.

‘Lux’ by Ballet School

Some dreamy synth-pop from Berlin now, with Ballet School coming with a new track called ‘Lux’. You’ve got the light, tingling sounds which balance the percussion sounds, which are (of course) deeper. The vocals, courtesy of singer Rosie Blair, are an intriguing mixture of Bjork like yelping and a much deeper singing voice (though her range is, like, all over). When she goes high it sounds really atmospheric and dreamy, and when she goes lower it immediately veers a bit into '80s synth territory. I totally see her swaying around like Kate Bush in that one clip everyone knows the sight. Lovely sounding dream-pop, with the doubling of the vocal lines being perhaps the thing that attracts me to this one the most.

‘Do U Wanna Get Down’ (LNTG rework)

The antidote to any rough week you might have had is walking into the discotheque and hearing some big ass edit of any disco queen of your choosing (male or female, I don’t discriminate here). So leave it to Late Nite Tuff Guy to bring some joy back into your life and that warm, loving feeling back into your body. Here he takes on Donna Summer, taking the “Do u wanna get down” lyric from her ‘Bad Girls’ and riding that with all the disco sounds he’s got in his bag. So expect a little guitar riff in there, a beautiful bass that will help your hips move, and a beat for anyone that wants to be safe on the dancefloor. And, of course, horns and whistles, because, you know, it’s Saturday night in the discotheque after all. At about 2:50 he throws in all of Donna Summer, with the chorus and the verse of that aforementioned track of hers. So yeah, bad girls, talking about the sad girls, and the other way around, and they’re all so naughty, and what would your mother think? Thing is, even your mother can dance to this (whether you want to be watching that is another matter entirely), because this is just another smooth edit with all that disco stuff from the '70s. Though, luckily, with the beat, the bass, and the naughtiness for a lively night out on the town with all the young, scantily clad dames of all sorts.

The Hot Five – My favourite new tracks of the week, usually rounded off with a classic, obscure or alternate track from my music collection.

Track of the week: VOLCANOES – ‘Up In Smoke’

VOLCANOES’ brand of indie folk is both refreshing and authentic, qualities that are summed up in their latest single, ‘Up In Smoke’. With two lead vocal lines whose harmonies naturally compliment each other, the track is a stimulating listen complete with chiming guitars and elegant bowed cello. Fans of Fleet Foxes need to take a listen to this, there’s plenty of vocal harmony and a combination of electric and acoustic guitar parts that work together only too well; all in all, a great track here.

Benjamin Booker – ‘Have You Seen My Son?’

New Orleans’ Benjamin Booker was recently hand picked to support Jack White in a series of shows, and it’s clear to see why. The energetic garage sound of this track is made more interesting by the evident blues influences in Booker’s songwriting. ‘Have You Seen My Son?’ is the second single from Benjamin Booker’s self-titled debut album, which will be released on August 18 via Rough Trade.

The Weeknd – ‘King of the Fall’

After a small break, The Weeknd has announced his musical return with two free download tracks. Recent release ‘Often’ has been followed by ‘King Of The Fall’, a darkly heavy piece of R'n'B with fantastic production and vocal hooks. ‘King of the Fall’ shares it’s name with The Weeknd’s latest US tour, which starts in September and will feature Jhene Aiko and Schoolboy-Q. This might not be the type of song I’d normally go for, but the vocal work of The Weeknd is definitely something to appreciate in amongst the track’s clever arrangement.

Weezer – ‘Back To The Shack’

When I think of Weezer, I think of early noughties tracks like ‘Beverly Hills’, or ‘Island In The Sun’, so it was a pleasant surprise to be impressed by the band’s comeback single ‘Back To The Shack’. Chosen as the lead single from new album Everything Will Be Alright In The End, ‘Back To The Shack’ is a classic bit of American rock music that encompasses the traditional crunching guitar and “nerdy swagger” that Weezer are known for. The track was premiered on Zane Lowe’s Radio 1 show on Monday, and Everything Will Be Alright In The End will be released on September 30.

Hidden track of the week: Queen – ‘Brighton Rock’

It’s been a bit of an eclectic mix this week, so I don’t think there’s anything wrong with putting something completely different in this spot either. Having purchased Sheer Heart Attack on vinyl last weekend, an album regarded by many as the best album that Queen released, ‘Brighton Rock’ really was an obvious choice for hidden track. It’s a classic song, and there really is nothing quite like hearing Freddie Mercury sing “It’s so good to know there’s still a little magic in the air”.

You can follow Tom on twitter @tom_fake

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the week: ‘Garde le Pour Toi’ by Paradis

I have really liked Paradis’ output so far, there’s a certain elegance that it’s got to it. This one starts maybe a bit less elegant than I’d have guessed, with that percussion at the start. Soon after that you get the main rhythm, which is deep and well-rounded, and the aforementioned elegance comes in at about 1:10 with the higher synth sound, that’s the one that makes it dreamy right there. And after that percussion and rather house-y beginning, it is that second vibe that pulls through the rest of the song. Especially when, after the two minute mark, the French singing (yes, singing, you dirty sob) comes along, which has a dreamy quality to it as well. In the mean time, the percussion in the background makes sure this one keeps rolling forward, so you’ll still be shuffling your feet to this one while you are being transported to Parisian paradise. After the surprising start this track turns into what I was expecting from these lads, and my expectations weren’t that low I have to admit.

‘Bark in the Dark’ by Curses

This one starts with the beat, and you immediately get a certain energy from this one, an energy which becomes even more noticeable when the first batch of auxiliary sounds come in. This one is not for the dreamers amongst us, but it’s party-people-unite on this one. You just sense the big sound coming, it is really working towards that one. Love the additional percussion that comes in through the party sounds, the latter which slowly evolve into these horns that cannot be denied and which fall just short of literally screaming “party people”, though that is certainly the feeling they evoke as the track creeps closer to the third minute mark. That’s the point when Curses throw it all in there with a major beat, bass, and the aforementioned party horns. To give some extra flavour to this whole thing there are shimmers of guitar and vocals that one can hear if one listens closely, though they are there just to add a slight spark. There is a brief change-up away from the horn sounds, though they quickly go back to where the party’s at. There’s another change-up at about the six minute mark, where the track goes deeper and more minimal (though it has got to get more minimal, as in the song’s party mode this one was pretty much maxed out). I just love it, it’s just got all the party vibes in there that you want, and if that’s what you looking for they don’t come much bigger than this.

‘The Stark Truth’ (v2) by Perseus Traxx

How about some atmospheric electro huh? Perseus Traxx definitely puts the vibe first here, and only after about twenty seconds you get this slow, understated beat in there. Just before the forty second mark you get those kind of spacey synths, though the percussion that you can still hear underneath all that is what puts the atmosphere in as far as I’m concerned. And as the synth goes on, the layers underneath change, and so he subtly continous to shift the balance depending on the kinds of instruments and sounds he works in. Around the four minute mark it goes really quiet and minimal, with just a few sparse sounds that a little bit later on get a little bit of help from a little tiny beat to ride this home. It’s got the mood down pat, so if you want something with nice percussion in the back and that relies on atmosphere, this one is a nice free download to spend some time with I reckon.

‘Kool And The Boog’ by Hold Youth

How about a trip to the club with this one, eh? Starts with a deep, thudding beat, though soon it gets an extra rhythm element (aside from the asymmetrical drumming) before they throw in those soulful, deconstructed vocals. At about 1:30 you get some nice bass action, which lends some serious boogie to this one (if you weren’t dancing yet, you certainly will be now). The vocals keep on working it, and the way they are edited work really well with the clubby feel of this track. Just love the small little additions, all the percussion elements, but also the little piano they at points work in there. The bass keeps this one rolling and gaining momentum, and the extra percussion and the addition of the female vocals (which go ooh-uuh-oohh and do not really sing) just lend an extra layer there for some depth. It’s just a great deep house track to get dancing to. Hold Youth, by the way, a combination of talents comprised of Le Loup and Seuil.

‘Loved By You’ by Mannmademusic

I’m already hooked from the start, as he first gives us those old school funky sounds with that organ, and only after he has eased us into the vibe of the track he adds the main beat. That dance sound gets a bit deeper and a bit more prominent as the first part of the track goes on, though it gets stripped just before the two minute mark to let us revel in the vibe again. Obviously, that rhythm returns with a vengeance (as it always does, and will continue to do on multiple occassions throughout this track). I just love how the track keeps rolling, and one layer behind the beat you can find plenty of rhythm and funk there with the piano and stuff. So the first layer is there for the dancing with the deep beat, and behind that layer all the good stuff is happening, all the stuff you can get lost in and do some extra dancing to. Though you can always return to the safety system he’s build in (namely that deep beat). I love it, it’s got all the goodness but it’s also real easy to dance to for just about everyone, and despite these two layers it still feels like such a smooth mixture. Yet another ace track by Mannmademusic.

‘Runaway Love’ by Kon (stripped down mix)

Lets get to some old school disco, eh? Kon really strips this one down, so don’t expect a whole bunch of high energy disco strings from the off here. Actually, you just have to make do with that single bass line for a while, as that one basically gets no help out there. Well, that’s not entirely true, there’s a bit of percussion, and he weaves in some other sounds like some synths, horns, but most importantly Linda Clifford’s vocals, singing that she’s got no heartaches to spare. Which is the cue for some of those strings to eventually come in. The big advantage to this stripped down approach is that all those individual elements are basically forced to shine, so that bass gets plenty of time, and Clifford’s vocals are clear, audible, and will tell you what it’s like. Any time an auxiliary sound comes in it also doesn’t feel cluttered, as they are really just filling up emptiness as opposed to piling on. So yeah, if you’re looking for that dancefloor killer, this isn’t it. However, for that cocktail disco party you are invited to this summery weekend, where you want to have just that single bassline to dance to and where you want the vocals to shine, this is a brilliant thing to occasionally pop out. And honey, “stop messin’ with my heart if you don’t mean it”. Just saying.