fm belfast

“We run the gauntlet/Let's get to France/So we can French kiss some French girls." So says “Wet Hair”, part of Japandroids’ bombastic new LP, Post-Nothing. With little turns of phrase like that, you can be sure that the new noise rock deities (Wavves was dethroned; where have you been?) will be getting all the indie girls at the hipster parties (hipsters still have parties, right?). Hell, there's even a bit of light fun at Bikini Kill's expense on the same track (Raragh, feminist warriors, get your boots on). However, the Vancouver-based band was recently struck by illness, causing the whole indie blogosphere to go loopy, especially since Pitchfork had just given them the coveted ‘Best New Muzak’ award. Since I’m a little late in covering the Japandroids---you'll observe that I usually reserve the Friday Mp3 spot for lesser-known musicians---here’s another band you might not have heard of: FM Belfast. This Icalandic electropop outfit calls to mind CSS, except they’re not obnoxious, they don’t butcher Grizzly Bear songs, and they sound a hell of a lot more awkward-Scandinavian-sexy than confident-Portuguese-sexy (see the whitest cover ever of “Pump Up the Jam”, called “Pump”). Their latest effort, How To Make Friends, includes songs just bubbling with technopagan sexiness, such as the Caribbean-obsessed “Par Avion”, a “Killing in the Name Of” cover titled “Lotus”, and the lusty road-trip-ready “Frequency”. Below, two songs to be your ‘hot hot sex’—“Rockers East Vancouver” by Japandroids and “VHS” by FM Belfast. Pick up both albums at Amie Street for under $8 each.

Download "Rockers East Vancouver" and "VHS" (via Fileden)
Buy Post-Nothing and How To Make Friends at Amie Street
Visit Japandroids' MySpace and FM Belfast's MySpace