Tune Wars!

[tunewars]

Oooh, funky - from the first few snare hits and vintage organ chords this one has me hooked. Throaty vocals soon appear, and it feels like I've been transported to the late 60s and the soundtrack to the Vietnam war. I don't think this souled-up funk number would be out of place with all the greats of that era, and would happily add it to a playlist for a long drive or late-evening whisky soul.

Score: +4

[tunewars]

Lovely drifting guitars and a smooth beat, very reminiscent of early Turin Brakes. Would happily have this as part of my soundtrack to late-summer. Think that the inclusion of a smoky organ and echoey guitar noodling at the end, just keeps me coming back...great stuff!

Score: +3

[tunewars]

Match 3: White Denim vs Langhorne Slim

White Denim:

White Denim is a four-piece rock band from Austin, Texas. Their music draws influence from dub, psychedelic rock, blues, punk rock,progressive rock, soul, jazz, experimental rock with home-based recording, jamming approach, intense looping work and unusual song structures.

Langhorne Slim:

Langhorne Slim is an American singer-songwriter, (born Sean Scolnick on August 20, 1980 in Langhorne, Pennsylvania). 

He began to gain public notice through several years of touring with the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players and an appearance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. His song "Electric Love Letter" was chosen as number 5 on the Rolling Stone editor's top ten picks and was also in the movie Waitress. He has been seen on tours with Cake, The Avett Brothers, Murder By Death, Jeffrey Lewis, The Violent Femmes, Lucero, Rocky Votolato, the Woes, Josh Ritter, Drive-By Truckers, The Low Anthem, and Old 97's.

Match result: Gas on F: 3 - Fire: 4 (Fire wins a battle of two great tunes)

[tunewars]

Honey Mine offers an altogether different sonic experience - gentle reggae beats and a synthscape that just washes over you. I could almost here "Ace of Base" here, but was that just wishful thinking? A refreshing counterpoint to ska punk, but nothing too memorable here.

Score: +1

[tunewars]

Delinquent Song starts up with a tasty-yet-skuzzy brass section riffing in that recognisable way. Shame that the punk vocals didn't really work for me - probably needed to be jumping around in a pit rather than sitting on a commuter train. Ah, modern life, eh? Score: +1

[tunewars]

Match 2: Voodoo Glow Skulls vs Korallreven

Voodoo Glow Skulls

Originally a hardcore group, the quartet was comprised of the brothers Casillas (Frank on vocals, Eddie on guitar, Jorge on bass) plus drummer Jerry O'Neill. After several years of playing in a garage, the band decided to expand both its lineup (not to mention its sound) with a horn section -- saxophone player Joey Hernandez, trumpeter Joe McNally, and trombone player Brodie Johnson. By the early '90s, Voodoo Glow Skulls were one of the most interesting ska-punk bands on the West Coast.

Korallreven

Korallreven are a Swedish electronic pop duo made up of Marcus Joons and Daniel Tjäder. The duo's dreamy, synth-heavy sound, which mixes shoegaze textures with dancefloor-friendly beats, isn't far from the sound of fellow Swedes jj, the Tough Alliance, and Air France, as well as Panda Bear.

Match result: Delinquent Song 1 - Honey Mine 1 (draw)

[tunewars]

Might just be the remix, but this beats-by-the-numbers effort fails to win the audience over. Skitty beats get you nodding along, but there's just not enough in the vocal samples to give it the depth. Not totally rotten though...good gym potential for a quick 5k if that's not damning it with faint praise?! Shame that the original "We Love" has a magnificent Eddi Grant 80s vibe too...

Score: +1 

[tunewars]

A melancholic little number, full of that post-midnight, drenched-in-tungsten hipster sway that carries you away to the films of David Lynch or Quentin Tarantino. Overdriven guitars and heartfelt vocals wail over a simple chord progression, but it’s a great fit for this alternative come-downer. Not the catchiest song out there, but feels of its time and place.

Score: +2

[tunewars]

Match 1: Dum Dum Girls vs Sneaky Sound System!

Dum Dum Girls:

Dum Dum Girls are an American noise pop/dream pop band originally from California that formed in 2009. The name comes from The Vaselines' album Dum Dum and the Iggy Pop song "Dum Dum Boys."

It is the project of singer and songwriter Dee Dee Penny, currently based in New York City, with the rest of the band in Los Angeles.

After issuing several singles and EPs, Dum Dum Girls released their first album I Will Be to critical acclaim in 2010. Their second album Only in Dreams was released in September 2011.

Tags: Lo-Fi, Noise Pop, Indie

Sneaky Sound System:

Sneaky Sound System are a Sydney-based Australian dance music group consisting of guitarist and producer Black Angus (Angus McDonald) and vocalist Connie Mitchell.

Their third album, “From Here to Anywhere” was released in Australia on October 7, 2011.

Their offical site is www.sneakysoundsystem.com

Tags: dance, australian, electronic

Result: Dum Dum Girls 2 - 1 Sneaky Sound System

[tunewars]

Husband and wife duo, David and Katie, started writing together in 2006 and decided to start recording some of their wee tunes. The result was "Tesco Chainstore Mascara"!  David has played in many bands over the years including The Trashcan Sinatras and The Spaceheads (with Laz from Bubblegum Lemonade).