Awesome. finally an LC! Xmas song x

Merry Christmas! Come to Aberdeen, I missed out on seeing you guys last time you were up
Keep up the good work!

YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES

Can’t wait! Yeeee

as cute as kim is her vocals just don’t fit in this band. sorry guys. gareth sounds all deep ian curtis wanna be shit. this is not the same band. not a fan. hoped heat rash would be a ep or album a return of sorts but no…

BlubBlubBlub!
They’re back!

Afraid i have to agree with the person a couple of comments above – kims vocals dont suit the band at all. Aleks complimented gareths voice, but now even gareth sounds different and i have to say im pretty disappointed :/ I’ll still buy heat rash, hopefully things will pick up

Epic. LC! @ Christmas FTW! Hugs all round x

it’s hardly WAB, WAD. but still pretty good.

Is that kim? Sounds like someone I haven’t heard before…

I saw them perform live with kim. There is absolutely nothing wrong with her vocals in relation to the band, they just did something a little different on this track. You should know LC! isn’t one to stick to the beaten path.

Ohmygod. I was totally hoping for a Christmas song! This is the best thing ever! And sorry, shut up please. If you didn’t even like Los Campesinos! music now, why you be excited for an ep or album? The song sounds amazing! Kim’s the new member now and we need to get used to her voice. She’s not Aleks but she’s just as great. I love LC!

haters gonna hate. I dig it.

Of course they’ve taken a new direction since HONY, but it’s still brilliant. Kim’s voice suits the song just fine!

Shush you guys, this is bangin’. Bangin’.

yeah what the hell is wrong with those whiney f*ckrs above, Kim’s a brilliant singer. If you don’t like the music then follow another band and don’t slag them off on their own blog! imagine when she reads those comments. she’ll be gutted! Personally, i love the new stuff more than the old and LOVE Kindle a Flame…

Kim did brilliantly on the Alls Well That Ends!(!!!)

However, I do agree that this is the first time I haven’t rated an LC! track 7 or above. That said, they have released 3 full-length records & a few EPs to the highest standards – Brilliance that few have been able which suggests the rest will carry on.

Rick, have you HEARD End Of The Asterisk?????
G

HA Fair play – Two songs are below 7.

Although it’s still fun & works in well with WAB WAD.

I AGREE WITH THE H8RS you guys are so not the same band anymore. you used to be a giant skitty pop band, now everything you release is some kind of eviscerating kitchen sink symphony that has builds and swells and layers and sounds like its a whole album packed into 5 minutes. and yr lyrics too, you still pwn the “its funny cos it’s true” but nowadays its just as much “its mortifying cos it’s true”. you guys got me into tweexcore in the firsrt place and frankly i feel you’ve deserted me for some epic sonic heartbreak crusade.

I think people are completely wrong about Kims voice. As someone who only became a “proper” LC fan over the past year or so, i missed Aleks departure, therefore i have experienced only recorded Aleks but only ever Live Kim. And i can safely say both are wonderful. And Kims voice is distinctive, interesting, different; and that suits LC. She sounds lovely. Gareth does have his wobbly bits in this (the “head to toe in white denim” line doesnt quite fit haha) but i honestly think it’s lovely, and i think the Kim/Gareth combo is a seriously wonderful one.

ps The artwork is lovely, is it one of Robs?

Fair fair fair @ victoria but I agree with the comments before you,
Kim’s singing strikes me as contrived..
I don’t want the old LC!, I love how it is evolving, I love LC!, they are my fav band.
But I don’t like this song at all.

I LOVE this! I did need to get used to it at first but I think Gareth and Kim’s voices sound lovely together. Genuinely think LC! are one of the most special and unique bands of the past 10 years. No one has done / does / will ever do what they do.

well I’m the biggest fan in the world of this band but i don’t actually like any of the people in the band or any of the songs or anything. I might just go and drink a few tonnes of wet cement and swim the channel. UUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHH WHY WON’T YOU JUST LOVE ME?!

I agree w/ miles. I think she sounds a little like she’s trying to do something w/ er voice or something or whatever, idk, Ive been shoving this song down my throat for the last 20 mins in an attempt to bleed out any second thoughts about my favourite band, fingers crossed.
X

Honesty – Yay

Ok, some other people are begging for a “return to form” as if HONY is the only worthwhile thing you guys have made. So to those people, umm…just keep listening to that album, it hasn’t vanished. I personally think RIB is the best thing you guys have done.

That said I wasn’t wild about this the first time I heard it, I’ve seen ya guys live and I actually liked Kim’s vocals on All’s Well That Ends but they sound odd here, even weirder at first is Gareth’s vocals. Kim’s I can get used to, Gareth’s however…well I’m hoping he’s just singing like this on this track.
That said, the actual music I really love and the lyrics as well, maybe it’ll keep growing, but the vocals are a little disconcerting

I hate to break it everyone but Aleks was no amazing singer, and there’s plenty of available evidence on that issue (sorry aleks) she was enjoyable, sure, and I was sad to see her go, but Kim has no problem filling her shoes. And even though I get what you’re saying, and I sometimes miss that sound too, I wouldn’t trade the single sonic heartbreak of letters/heatrash for all the skitty pop on HONY. (Plus, RIB really has both sounds: Listed Buildings vs. The Sea Is).

http://blogs.westword.com/showandtell/010haters.jpg
Also, thanks for F***ING UP my christmas budget with all that heat rash business.

Personally, I think Kim’s vocals are just fine on the track. Alek’s departure might’ve been a blessing in disguise, Kim’s vocals suit their new style perfectly. I think Romance is Boring is their best album, tho I do miss HONY AND WAB, WAD but the band needs to advance their sound and I think their doing a brilliant job. Can’t wait for the next album, WITH Kim on vocals

I fucking love Kim’s voice <3 o__o

This new style sucks, we already had ten million slow fucking country style pop bands. The pop element was what made this band good. there’s nothing new here, i could put on a million records that sound like this. i want them to evolve but not to evolve into something that has already been beaten to death. when it was pop atleast it was something people had never heard anything like. now its just eight people playing simple ass boring music. well i guess three records was a good run guys. they will forever be some of my favorites.

Yeah, I think this is amazing. One of the best non-album LC! things (SO FAR).

YEAH GUYZ, LET’S COMPLAIN ABOUT FREE XMAS SONGS! WAHWAHWAH

when they suck and show a band becoming bland yes we will

Fuck, they release one new song and everyone has to get all grouchy over it. It’s a song. I don’t even see what the big deal is. Why don’t you wait for their next album to complain about how they changed too much? You either like the Christmas song or don’t. There’s not much more to it.

Do whatever you please, LC!. I dig everything, always!

Yeah, guys. It’s a free Christmas song. I don’t think it quite signifies a massive stylistic shift. Let’s not shit ourselves.

And if you don’t like the last two albums, then stop listening to them and don’t post it on the band’s blog. As much as I’m sure they love your oh-so-constructive criticism of their hard work, you’re just creating clutter and setting yourself up for backlash.

Now back to the actual song… FINALLY I can add LC! to my Christmas playlists.

I’m with Brock, very nice to finally have some LC! in my winter/snow/Christmas playlists (snuggling up to Slow Club and Sufjan)

brilliant. I met you guys. you were very friendly. merry christmas.

I’ve never really been one to indulge in Christmas music but I actually quite like this. I realize Kim’s voice might take some getting used to but it’s not like it’s the first time she’s sung on a record. It’s nice.

Where did y’all record this? During the last US tour?

[...] Anche i Los Campesinos! si lasciano ispirare dall’aria natalizia: Kindle a Flame in Her Heart [...]

Good work guys…great tune.
I gotta say I love kims voice. it’s so unique and warm.

may have to put heat rash on my xmas list though… I’m pretty skint. looks great though.

So Heat Rash? I was real pumped about 25 pounds ($40), but I don’t think I can foot the 39 (over $60 US)…. shipping’s a bitch I guess. You all should just move to the states! Or at least find a better way to distribute to us. :^)

To be perfectly honest, Brett, with the greatest of respect I’m not really sure what you’re losing your sh*t over here. It was just a one-off Christmas song that we recorded at home and gave away for free. By all means debate the material, feel free to hate it, criticise it, whatever; after all, freedom of expression is one of the very corner stones of popular music. I don’t, however, think that it’s especially cool to single out individual members of the band for some pretty brutal criticism on our own blog. Does this seem fair to you? -R

I’d like to add that the song has actually started to grow on me.

My previous assessment of it being 1 of 2 LC! songs I’d rate under 7 seems like a rash decision. I’m putting it on a 7 (or 7.3 in Pitchfork’s godly decimal system.)

I think Sparky has got it spot on (above). Although fans are dead passionate about LC! (which is a good thing,) I don’t feel there is any need to get angry over the content of their music – It’s only there to be enjoyed or otherwise people need to go elsewhere.

I didn’t like it at first but I’ve just found myself listen to it about 5 times in a row, so must say that I actually like it.

I’ve noticed that Gareth has been singing deeper on live versions of old song so I’m not overly surprised at the vocals on this. I’ve got a feeling that the next album will be a lot darker and more like this…deeper vocals; heavier bass – but I’m just speculating. I think it works for this song. Whether a whole album of it would work.. I’m not sure. It might become overkill.

It’s definitely nice to see them trying new things. The problem is that they have a lot to live up to as the last two (three) albums have been amazing. I realise how fanboyish this sounds but easily one of my favourite bands and to see them doing something new is almost a little bit sexy. Although I add to the skipping of the end of the asterisk… that’s just awful. But hey, a 97% success rate ain’t bad.

Anyway.. I like this. And it was free, so cheers.

This song is really bad. I miss the old songs!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bring them back. Don’t do this to yourself.

yeah, i was also excited to be part of Heat Rash and rushed to the store and ordered it.

i was stunned to see 14GBP s+h fee for the 25GBP Heat Rash thing. just like Ben, i also understand things co$t monies to ship, but s+h is more than half the cost of Heat Rash!

what are you going to be sending us, MP3′s wrapped in bricks?

I love it and I love the band’s progression and can’t wait to see where they will go in the future – If people loved HON,Y so much they they should just stick to listening to it – I prefer bands to explore new areas and continually evolve rather than just give people a copy of their first album every few years…

Gonna call me out on my name for speaking my mind? i’m not hiding anything. if you guys don’t wanna know what fans think don’t ask. i have lost so much respect for it is obviously quite a big deal what someone thinks of you. Moderate comments, only let the positive in. I said what I said no one has to believe me.

This is perfect! Kim’s voice does work well with Gareth’s, it’s just that she struggles a bit with the really low notes, which is understandable. I’ve been listening to lc! and following them since I was 14 years old (17 now, whippersnapper, yay) and I feel they’ve grown up in a way, their music developing and evolving gradually insead of suddenly drastically changing their style like some people are implying. They’ve done so much to get to where they are now and REALLY don’t deserve the amount of stick some of you are giving them. Fair enough, give constructive criticism or whatever but don’t single out individual members of the band, THEY HAVE FEELINGS TOO aha.
This is a beauuutiful song, signing up to heat rash right now
Love you LC!

This is great, guys! Possibly one of my favorite tracks ever, and definitely my new favorite Christmas song. And I’m so excited for Heat Rash! Happy Holidays! Thanks for everything!

so it’s grown on me too, but i have like this godly crush on aleks. and I ACTUALLY QUITE LIKE END OF THE ASTERIX! seriously, it’s catchy!

Some of you lot are really mean. I love HONY, I love WAB,WAD, I love RiB and I love this. It’s Christmas, it was free and we’ve got a February gig and Heat Rash to look forward to. Kim’s voice is a bit unusual, but that’s a good thing. So pipe down! Merry Christmas LC! xxx

First listen, I wasn’t much of a fan. It has grown on me though – the verse is a little dark and lacking something, but the chorus is grand. . It’s not their greatest tune ever, and I doubt any members of LC! will contest that. It’s not many bands who will go to the effort of recording a Christmas song just to give it away for free to their fans, so thanks very much for that!

As for folk saying you’re on some horrendous slide downhill, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Yes, HONY was great fun, WAB, WAD was good, but RIB was simply brilliant, probably my favourite album of the last 5 years. Kim’s voice is different to Aleks’, but I don’t see that as a bad thing at all.

Have a nice Christmas folks,

B xx

Brett, I wasn’t suggesting for a second that it wasn’t important for us to hear fans’ feedback and it’s completely valid to provide it on this blog. If you dislike the way the band sounds at the moment then feel free to shout it from the rooftops, that’s purely an artistic difference and (as you seem to write quite intelligently) maybe we can even have a thoughtful, intellectual debate about it. The point I was trying to make, however, was that singling out a member of the band for special personal criticism just isn’t constructive in any way. It’s gratuitous and upsetting for the object of it. -R

Don’t be upset Kim! I’ve been reading the LC! blog for ages but have never posted before (because I’m shy and pathetic). Reading some of the pointlessly rude comments posted above made me so cross that I felt I had to say something. The vocals are great. I’ve seen LC! a few times with Kim and she and the band have been absolutely amazing – one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen (and I am very old and have seen a lot of bands). Don’t let a couple of nasty people get you down – there’s loads and loads of love and support for you. xxx

i <3 this song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kims a really good singer i mean shes totally different to aleks but there both amazing singers
just deal with it

Kim’s voice is absolutely perfect for the direction that LC! is going in. I suppose people want more HON,Y, as solid of an album that is WEB, WAD and RIB are both amazing steps forward for the band. Back on topic, I love this song and will be repeatedly playing it throughout the holiday season. Thanks LC!

Great track, Kims vocals have really grown on me! Keep up the good work x

Jennifer – I second all that you said, yeah. Love Kim’s voice. Love Gareth’s voice. Love Jason’s drumming, Ellen’s bass-ing, Tom’s mixing, producing, and recording, Tim’s trumpeting, Harriet, Neil, Rob, and so-on and so-on times infinity.

Los Camp – Thank you for free song.

This track is great – Gareth’s deeper vocals threw me at first, but not in a bad way. I think they sound cool too. Brilliant hook and chorus.

To those complaining about stylistic shifts – are you really serious? HON,Y, WAB,WAD, and RiB are all brilliant albums each in their own right and although there are recurring styles and traits they all share, they’re all a bit different too. Which is a GREAT thing. Would you all really enjoy it that much if your favourite bands didn’t develop and change over time? If they pumped out the same stuff over and over? As much as I like HON,Y, if LC! kept producing exactly the same material it would probably get old for me personally.
If you don’t like their new sound, that’s completely fine, but I think it’s a bit unreasonable to expect them to churn out another album exactly like HON,Y, or whatever release you prefer. How boring would that be.

LC! – thank you for being true to yourselves and making the music you want to. You continually amaze me and I’m sure you will for years to come!

Cool! Love new songs! Keep em coming guys, and have a fab holiday!

Subscribed to heat rash, cannot wait!

Thanks for the freebie, after over 30 years of music listening yours’ is the first band since the early 90s that I felt Ive fallen in love with, thank you!

I’ve listened to this song about 10 times in a row now. I absolutely love it.
I never understand when people want the same thing from a band, watching a band evolve is one of the interesting things about bands, especially Los Campesinos! I fell in love with We are Beautiful, We are Doomed as soon as I listened to it, and when I heard the other two albums I also loved them, as they are all different and therefore good in different ways!
Surely if you’re saying, ooh I don’t like it, go back to how you were before, well instead of them wasting their time, you could just listen to the album on repeat?
Los Campesinos! have had a hold on me as soon as I heard them, and from this song, they still do!

This is my new favorite Christmas song; it makes a great seasonal alternative to my roommate blasting Coldplay and Hanson christmas jams on repeat.

I love LC! as much as the next guy and have seen them live on several occasions but sorry this song is god awful

Great song – and not just because it’s free! I look forward to hearing more new stuff

Many thanks for the song! I’m really enjoying it, and that’s saying something because I’m a notorious Scrooge. Anyway, I’ve got a radio show at my college and my music director made a bet with me that I couldn’t bring myself to play a Christmas song on my show, but I proved her wrong and played this! Got some great feedback from listeners on it too.

This is such a great song, I’ve been listening to it on repeat nonstop. Gareth’s voice sounds strong and mature, the harmonies are beautiful, and Kim has a little bit of a Nico vibe going on in my opinion. I’m very impressed, thanks for the freebie!

Kim’s voice is lovely live and it’s lovely here. I don’t understand why everyone’s getting so caught up. It’s Christmas, chill the fuck out.

there are only two types of lc! fans: those that loved the band and are skeptical of the new style and young teenage girls. It gets kinda boring reading comments from either.

Not such a big fan on the song. I mean you can’t like every song a band does after all. I really like Kim’s voice though, she’s great live. She sounds really good on Letter’s From Me To Charlotte (RSVP), it improves so much on the original.

Simply complicated. Love it!

Dear LC!

Thank you for my wonderful (and early) Christmas present, am sure the gf will love her subscription of Heat Rash and so excited to see what you get up to next year…

Love.

x

Adam:

Just wondering which category you fall into?

In the same way that I don’t really think you can complain about Government if you haven’t bothered to vote, I don’t really think you can throw a lot of criticism in the face of a band who have provided you with a free recording.
Not really sure why you’d even think offering unconstructive criticism (which, essentially, constitutes an insult) is warranted, welcomed, festive or remotely human. I got a pretty crummy present from my Gran once, but I made sure not to initiate a cutting monologue about it in her front room.

The song is great, there’s not one element of it that doesn’t work, or fit within the context of the band. I for one will be ordering Heat Rash as an Xmas gift THIS VERY MOMENT, and would recommend others do the same.

thank you and merry christmas LC

Sounds like there’s a lot of playa hating going on in this forum. It’s not like anyone laid down any hard earned cash for this track, so just chillax. I think it’s a great tune. Keep up the great work guys – you rule.

[...] Christmas is coming earlier and earlier around here! You can download a brand new Los Campesinos! Christmas Song, Kindle A Flame In Her Heart, for free at their site, right HERE. [...]

Wot’s wrong with u all, this is called progrees ie not stayin like some dinsaur bands churning the same old shit time after time.Kims voice is just as lovely as Alek’sss’ssss”ssss

Thank you for the song. I really would have liked to have ordered Heat Rash, but like others above who live in the states it’s a little much. I had a WAB,WAD section the other day and it made me miss you guys. I really hope you come tour the West coast sometime soon. RiB was a great record, and I can’t wait to hear what you have in store for us with the new members in the band. You are one of my favorite bands. Your music and lyrics are great have meant so much to me.

Adam, I love the band, I like the new style and I am 32. I also can’t really see how your comment is more interesting than anyone else’s. Nevermind, I don’t think you really thought it through before you posted it, did you? Bless.

I’ll second this comment–”I didn’t like it at first but I’ve just found myself listen to it about 5 times in a row, so must say that I actually like it.”

The opening reminded me strongly of Documented Emotional Breakdown #1, my favorite LC! song, so I was a little disconcerted at first when it turned into something rather different. The super-low parts of the vocals still make me wince a tiny bit, but I think the wavering notes are starting to turn weirdly endearing, like they have for me in most other LC! songs. There’s something addictive about those moments of questionable tonality; I can’t explain it.

Anyhow, thanks for the track! I’ll be humming it for days.

[...] para desarrollar su canción ‘Kindle A Flame In Her Heart’, que regalan a través de su web, donde además puedes leer su [...]

To join in with Jennifer and further expand upon Adam’s narrow take on LC! fans:
I am a middle-aged man living in Baltimore who’s been in love with LC! since Sticking Fingers, but also considers the acoustic Letters To Charlotte to be one of the years’ best songs from any group, period. I took my 63-year old father-in-law to see them in Baltimore this past fall, and his 65-year old friend was upset that we didn’t invite him along. (amazing show, btw)
So the fan base is:
Fan’s who have always loved the band but hate the new style.
Teenage girls.
Jennifer.
And old, male farts from Baltimore who have always been and are still in love with the band – old, medium, new, extra crunchy, or whatever style.

Also: Human beings of all ages and genders, who have loved them for varying amounts of time and love the different records to varying degrees.

Opinions! On! THE INTERNEEEET!

And young romantics who have no idea what to do about the opposite sex love your music as well. And we’re guys.

Wait, is Kim singing the “Your lips land lightly…” part? I LOVE that! And this song. I love everything, but Romance Is Boring is my favourite, by FAR.

There’s a reason that I’ve had this song on repeat since I downloaded it. Why are people so scared of LC! progressing? Such a beautiful song and I wish people would stop being so pathetic. Kim’s vocals are amazing, as well.

Oh, this is wonderful! Thank you!

This is a G R E A T song.
Great lyrics and arrangement—and how sweet that the LC! put out a Christmas song at all– for free. The song demonstrates the bands ability to evolve as musicians—if you had never heard Aleks you would have nothing negative to say about Kim.
Kim is a fine fine singer—and Gareth never sounded better.

Enough with the contempt you carry in your hearts.

[...] Sufjan Stevens – No One Can Save You From Christmasses Past (3:16) 9. Los Campesinos! – Kindle A Flame In Her Heart (4:28) 10. Hurts – All I Want For Christmas Is New Year’s Day (4:34) 11. Kula Shaker [...]

Awesome! Wish I could see you in the states before I have to deploy but afraid that won’t happen. Possibly you could come to the mideast?

kim’s like a welsh nico. i’m into it. definitely loving where lc are going

Lovely song. The chorus is wonderful, especially the drums. Kim’s voice shows there’s a bright future despite the sad depature of Aleks and Olly.

This is my Christmas present for you guys! Maybe not phallic, but baked with care and love: http://img840.imageshack.us/img840/1726/p2112101408.jpg (spamming here pathetically cause I want it noticed by you if you haven’t seen it on facebook)

Well, I like it.

Whatever! Whoemever’s voice it is that is accompanying Gareth is what ties this song together for me.