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April is the (supposed) first full month of spring (though the current weather patterns in the north and southeast USA may not agree with that), and it’s a great time to introduce a new band! This month's band is the UK based Blood Red Shoes. Blood Red Shoes is the duo of Laura-Mary Carter and Stephen Ansell, and they formed this band in 2004 after their previous bands broke up. Supposedly the two did not know each other all that well before forming Blood Red Shoes, but their blending of vocals and sound say otherwise.

I first heard the Blood Red Shoes on the soundtrack for Scott Pilgrim vs the World (sidebar - awesome movie, rent it!), and I was intrigued by what I heard. What I personally do when I'm intrigued by a band is download everything possible by them, and then decide from there. For there are sometimes where the song I heard is awesome, but the rest of their music is not my speed. This, for me, was not the case for the Blood Red Shoes. Both of their albums, 2008’s Box of Secrets and 2010’s Fire Like This, are amazing. Caity describes the band’s sound as “early Placebo,” and I definitely hear that in their music. I also hear hints of Metric and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs here and there, especially when Laura-Mary has the lead vocals. The songs that most sound like Metric and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are Fire Like This’ “Don’t Ask,” and Box of Secrets’ “You Bring Me Down.” “Don’t Ask” has the smooth, synth driven melody similar to Metric’s sound, and “You Bring Me Down” has the more punk, garage band feel of early Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

So, if you like early Placebo, with hints of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Metric, definitely check out the Blood Red Shoes. Sadly, they are not coming to North America anytime soon, but if you are reading this from the UK or Europe, definitely go check out their website link at the bottom to see where they will be playing this June. Because I believe the Blood Red Shoes would put on a pretty phenomenal show.

Doctah J's favorite songs
-I Wish I was Better
-Don't Ask
-You Bring Me Down
-Heartsink

As is so often the case, I'm listening to Blood Red Shoes for the first time as I write this. So I could do a running commentary, but their MySpace doesn't seem to have any full songs, I've heard 3 15 second clips so far, but what I'm hearing as I type this opening sentence is intriguing... Let's find out more!

They have a good, bouncy sound that reminds me of... I think I'm thinking of The Stills, here. The Stills and another band that I can't quite put my finger on. I'm starting to watch their videos now, because I was urged on by all those little clips, and I'm digging Light It Up. More so the chorus than anything, the verses, personally, are a little draggy, but the chorus picks up the entire thing and brings the song together and I can see it growing on me quite fast.

Colours Fade, the third video on the site, is a song that I can get into much easier than the first. Though they're similar, Colours Fade seems to have a much more driving sound that seems to focus me in more on the music.

I think this is a band that I would like very much to see live, and I think their live show could make it or break it for me. But as for now, I dig them enough to recommend them. So definitely go check them out and see what you think.

And see if you can help me pin down that other band that I'm thinking of but STILL can't place my finger on. Damn.

Welcome to April! And welcome our new Band Of The Month, Blood Red Shoes! I had never heard of this band before hand and wasn't exactly sure what to expect when it came to the music. However, on the first listen on their myspace of the samples of tracks they had there I have to say this is a band that I can see myself enjoying. The sound is very, as Caity has mentioned, early Placebo, which I am sure that you all can hear for yourself when you listen. The overall feel and work of the music is amazing to say the least.

Upon the first myspace listen I automatically went in search of the music so I could have it on my playlist because there wasn't a doubt in my mind that this was something I needed. They have a sound that intrigues me and wants me to need more. Once the first song ended I wanted the next one right away, I couldn't wait to hear what they had to offer to me. Now if you know me you know my love of a movie called The Crow, well on the soundtrack for The Crow there is a song by a band called Medicine, now I may be way off, but at the same time, a few of the songs sort of remind me of Medicine.

Haunting vocals over an amazing rock sound makes this band a wonderful combination. The duo works really well together and I can see nothing but bright things for their musical future. If you are able to see them live I think you need to take that chance and do it. According to the events on their myspace they currently have two shows lined up for June, one in The Netherlands and the other in Spain. Can you make it? If you can go and let us know how amazing they are live, because we would love to hear about it.

Overall I give this band an A+, with my favorite song having to be a toss up between Colors Fade and Don't ask.

Go, listen, enjoy some amazing new music brought to us by Doc!

Here is what I love about being a part of The Sound Faction staff, along with doing this with my best friends in the world, but I love that we all have different tastes in music, and share them with each other. You will find no hipster-esque "my repertoire is more underground than yours" crap here, when we hear something we like, we share it with each other and with you all as well!

When Doctah J announced Blood Red Shoes as this month's band of the month, it was something brand new to me, I had never heard of the band before, and I was excited to listen to something new that had been given the stamp of approval by one of my dearest friends! Upon getting to the band's MySpace (dispite MySpace's infuriatingly frustrating new music player interface that rarely plays nicely with others) I turned on the very first track available for listen which was "Light It Up" and I was almost immediately reminded of early Placebo. As I moved on to other songs I kept that impression, but found it to be more modernized, like early Placebo thrust into the future. The music is great, with pounding drums and energetic guitars.

I do like the girl's (Laura-Mary Carter) vocals more than the male's (Steven Ansell), but I don't dislike either at all! When they sing together in fact it makes an interesting vocal mix that I quite enjoy!

I'm super glad that Doctah J brought this band to our attention, my favorite offerings from their MySpace page are "Light It Up", "Colors Fade", and "It's Getting Boring By The Sea". But you know the drill, check out the MySpace link down there and check it out for yourself!