you will never be alone as long as you can make it home

Every now and again here at The Rally, we get emails from bands, labels and publishers, trying to get themselves and their latest charges featured on the blog - you may scoff, but judging by the emails this is some prime real estate you're looking at right now. A favourite was the email offering me tickets to a showcase gig at the South By Southwest festival - unfortunately they wouldn't stretch to airfare and accommodation but it doesn't hurt to ask...

Not many of these bands have inspired me to write about them, but last week I got an unassuming email from The Swimmers of Philadelphia, asking if I wanted to download a copy of their unreleased album, "Fighting Trees". Well, why not...

The Swimmers - It's Time They Knew

The Swimmers - Home

I think it's a great album - bits of Summerteeth-era-Wilco, Beach Boys, The Shins and Arcade Fire in there - frontman Steve Yutzy-Burkey has a touch of the Jason Lytle's about him, too. Man, I don't know about you, but every now and then I just need me some grade-A, pounding, anthemic American indie-repeato-rock and this more than fits the bill. What do you think?

The album will hopefully be out sometime in the Spring - no date as yet, but until then visit their MySpace and befriend them. They have some US dates planned over the next month, too, if you're out that way.

I'm hoping that Marc-o gets a chance to hear these 'cos I think he'd love 'em - especially the needly Juno lead bit on "Home".

One of the reasons I'm posting these is to celebrate the latest addition to the ever expanding legion of Johnny Domino fans - we're giving birth to 'em one at a time! Big love to Marc-o and Claire xxx

Visit - The Swimmers website
Visit - The Swimmers MySpace