JIM CARROLL's future sounds

Here we go magic: box of tricks

The story of Here We Go Magic is the story of Luke Temple. Temple already had form long before Here We Go Magic began to weave a spell with tracks possessing more hypnotic power than Keith Barry – check out Tunnelvision. Few, though, ever got around to hearing the stately folk and pop the singer-songwriter from Massachusetts had produced over the course of a couple of releases.

All this has changed with his new project and the self-titled album now available on the Western Vinyl label. Here We Go Magicis one of those twinkling, sparkling albums capable of charming all who come across it.

Between the hisses and the pops, you'll find electronic psychedelia, Afrobeat shimmies, campfire crooning and Krautrock freak-outs. It's all held together by Temple's ability to create subtle magical grooves from simple tones and melodies. It helps, too, that his soulful, sleepy voice suits the pace, especially on lovely, shuffling tunes such as Only Pieces.

While Temple recorded the album himself, he’s pulled in some help for the live work-outs. “It seemed more fitting for an ensemble than other stuff I’ve done,” Temple explains. “I wouldn’t be able to perform the material solo. Everything I’ve recorded before, I’ve been able to perform solo, but this music I certainly couldn’t, so I put a band around it.”

As for the new sound, Temple attributes that to a new energy brought about by what he was listening to. "I was listening a lot to Arthur Russell and Robert Wyatt, a lot to Ethiopiques. All that music is more linear, not as traditional in its form, so that was inspiring to me."

- www.myspace.com/ herewegomagic

Magistrates: arresting development

Since their debut single, Make This Work, landed in a CD player near us last summer, New Music has held a special place in his heart for Magistrates.

It's been largely unrequited, chiefly because the band headed off to record their debut album and forgot to ring, email, text, Tweet, poke or blog us. Now, they return with a new single ( Heartbreak) and the promise of an album to come. It's enough to make even cynics like us smile.

From Essex, a place they themselves term “the armpit of England”, Magistrates are all about raw, twitchy, funk-not-funk grooves, a dashing soulful falsetto and the sort of charming indie- rock strut you don’t really find too often any more.

You know that they’ve spent some of their formative years listening to all the right records (Talking Heads, Prince, David Bowie) and some of the wrong ones too. Yes, fingers keen to make comparisons will point towards Hot Chip, but this is a whole other barrel of white- boy funk. Expect the puns (“the jury’s out” etc) to tire far faster than their sound.

- www.myspace.com/ magistratesband

Four more

Plugs

New single All Them Witcheswill make you fall for these London electro roughneck cubs.

www.myspace.com/plugsmusic

Erik Hassle

Swish 21st-century pop from Stockholm tailor-made for a primetime radio show near you.

www.myspace.com/erikhassle

Dublin Duck Dispensary

Bobby Aherne's one-man lo-fi blitz continues with current release, the Yves BasketEP. All fuzz, no quack.

www.myspace.com/dublindd

Local Natives

One of our favourites from South By Southwest, the Silverlake, California group fire up their harmonies and sharpen the hooks.

www.myspace.com/localnatives