Swimming - Sun In The Island (acoustic)

I just have to share this with everyone!!!

This is what I call pure magic and it begins at 2:37, everything before that I honestly don't care about (and listen through headphones!).

Stream James Blake's debut lp in full

James Blake is currently one of the most talked about artists in the indie world, and for good reason. Last year he released three critcally praised ep's and he's set to release his self-titled debut album on Monday, February 7, but you can stream the whole thing online now on the Dutch website 3VOOR12. The album is well worth checking out, and for someone like me (who isn't well-versed in dubstep or electronic music) its sound mostly reminds me of some sort of twisted auto-tuned soul. I'm not sure if that description is going to make people want to listen to it or scare them away, but it's definitely a really good and interesting record - and my favourite record of 2011 (despite it being far out of my comfort zone). Stream it here.

(via One Thirty BPM)

Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

I'm feeling quite nostalgic at the moment and Joy Division has been on repeat all day.
Here is one of the songs I just can't get enough of and it's probably one of the best songs ever written:

John Paul Keith & The One Four Fives to release LP2 this spring

Photo by Don Perry (taken from the official John Paul Keith site)

Memphis, Tennessee rock 'n' rollers John Paul Keith & The One Four Fives announced on their website that they have finished the recording, and that they're almost done with the mixing, of their second album, which they are hoping to release this spring. The album's got the working title The Man That Time Forgot and it's going to be released on Big Legal Mess Records (which is a part of Fat Possum). John Paul Keith & The One Four Fives released their debut lp, entitled Spills And Thrills, in 2009 (also on Big Legal Mess) and it's mix of rock 'n' roll, garage rock and country rock made it into one of the better records of '09. Before forming John Paul Keith & The One Four Fives Keith played with a number of bands including Ryan Adams' Pinkhearts and appearing on Adams' 2003 album Demolition, and  he's also worked a lot with Jack Oblivian of seminal garage rockers the Oblivians.

Here's an mp3 of "Secondhand Heart" from Spills And Thrills, courtesy of Big Legal Mess.

Introducing...White Fence

White Fence is the solo/side-project of Tim Presley who's a member of Austin, TX garage rockers The Strange Boys (doing backing vocals according to Wikipedia/playing guitar according to Pitchfork) and also the vocalist/guitarist of Los Angeles psychedelic indie rockers Darker My Love. White Fence released his/its second album ...Is Growing Faith a couple of weeks ago on Woodsist Records and if I had known about it last week when I wrote the "Albums of January 2011"-piece it would've definitely made the list. ...Is Growing Faith is a mixture of several genres including lo-fi, garage rock, folk, country, psychedelic and beatlesque pop but most of all it's got strong songs, which really is all you need, and it's my favourite album of January 2011.

Video: The National perform "Conversation 16" on Letterman

The National guested Letterman last night (February 1) and performed "Conversation 16" and you can view the video below. I'm seeing The National live on March 1 myself, and I'm definitely excited since High Violet was one of my favourite records from last year and their performance at the Way Out West festival was one of the better gigs of the year too.

The White Stripes call it quits

Sad news for music fans worldwide today as one of the biggest bands of the last decade, and also one of the few really good bands to garner a big mainstream following, announced that they're done. Jack and Meg White announced the split in a message on their official website, and you can view the message below.

"The White Stripes would like to announce that today, February 2nd, 2011,
their band has officially ended and will make no further new recordings or perform live.

The reason is not due to artistic differences or lack of wanting to continue, nor any
health issues as both Meg and Jack are feeling fine and in good health.

It is for a myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve What is beautiful and special about
the band and have it stay that way.

Meg and Jack want to thank every one of their fans and admirers for the incredible
support they have given throughout the 13 plus years of the White Stripes’ intense and
incredible career.

Third Man Records will continue to put out unreleased live and studio recordings from
The White Stripes in their Vault Subscription record club, as well as through regular
channels.

Both Meg and Jack hope this decision isn’t met with sorrow by their fans but that it is
seen as a positive move done out of respect for the art and music that the band has
created. It is also done with the utmost respect to those fans who’ve shared in those
creations, with their feelings considered greatly.

With that in mind the band have this to say:

“The White Stripes do not belong to Meg and Jack anymore. The White Stripes belong
to you now and you can do with it whatever you want. The beauty of art and music is
that it can last forever if people want it to. Thank you for sharing this experience. Your
involvement will never be lost on us and we are truly grateful.”

Sincerely,
Meg and Jack White
The White Stripes"

I guess we'll have to see what a workaholic like Jack White is going to be doing this year since his occupation of the past two years, The Dead Weather, won't be touring or recording due to Alison Mosshart's work with her main project The Kills. Here's hoping for a solo album...

Curren$y signs with Warner Bros, will release ep on April 20

New Orleans-rapper Curren$y released two of the best hip-hop albums last year in Pilot Talk and Pilot Talk II and is definitely one of the most promising rappers out there today. Yesterday it was announced that he's signed with Warner Bros. and his first project to be released by Warner will be an ep called called Covert Coup, out on April 20. The entire ep will be produced by The Alchemist (who's also producing a track on Raekwon's upcoming Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang album), unlike his Pilot Talk albums which were mostly produced by Ski Beatz. Curren$y also have two album coming out this year, one called Muscle Car Chronicles and also the third instalment in the Pilot Talk series. Every hip-hop fan should check out Curren$y (real name Shan Te-Anthony Franklin) even if you may have an issue with the name he's chosen for himself. You can download his latest mixtape, Return To The Winner's Circle, here.

(via Pocket Full of Paper)

If you've got Spotify you can listen to Pilot Talk and Pilot Talk II there, and for the rest of you; here's the opening track from Pilot Talk II, "American Aquarium":

Liam Gallaghers's post-Oasis band releases debut album

On the 28th of Febuary Liam Gallagher's new project Beady Eye releases their highly anticipated debut, Different Gear, Still Speeding. I am personally extremely curious about it and from what I have heard so far I think it is going to be an amazing album. With singles like "The Roller" and "Four Letter Word" there is not much to be critical about. Just recently "The Roller" reached the number one spot on NME Chart, which says something about its popularity.

Judge for yourselves!

"Four Letter Word"


"The Roller"

An introduction: Wild Palms

It's been a long wait for genuine Wild Palms fans. But the wait is soon finally over. On the 7th March they are about to release their debut album Until Spring and they are also releasing a new single "Delight In Temptation"(listen below). Both the single and the album are produced by Gareth Jones, who has been working with bands like Grizzly Bear, Depeche Mode and These New Puritans. Wild Palms are signed to the label One Little Indian(where, for examlpe, Bjork is signed) and in support of the new record, they have been posting up a series of underground 7″ singles (including "Deep Dive", "Draw In Light", "To The Lighthouse" and "...Over...Time"), free downloads, UK shows, abstract videos and artwork to their Tumblr pages. Together with the release of the new single and album they also announced a UK tour which starts in March.

"Deep Dive"


"To The Lighthouse"


Here you can listen to the new single released on the 14th March, "Deligth In Temptation", which I think is one of their best songs so far:

Glasvegas EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK \\\ album trailer

While we are eagerly waiting for Glasvegas' highly anticipated second album EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK \\\ they now releases an album trailer. Everything to make us want it even more!

Albums of January 2011

January’s gotten the year’s off to a good start albumwise but it also looks like the coming months are going to be even stronger with albums coming out in February from Beady Eye, James Blake, Bright Eyes (which you can stream already), Cut Copy, Drive-By Truckers, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Gruff Rhys and Yuck. In March we’ll get a Mark Kozelek live album and studio records from J Mascis, Middle Brother, The Strokes and Lucinda Williams. Plus Glasvegas, Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit, The Kills and Timber Timbre already have albums announced for release in April and in May Fleet Foxes and Okkervil River will release new albums as well.

Here are my five personal favourites from January (meaning that this in no way is meant to represent the views of the other writers on this blog), in alphabetical order and including only albums to have actually been released in January (so no streams or leaks).


British Sea Power – Valhalla Dancehall
[Rough Trade, 2011.01.10, Spotify]

Valhalla Dancehall is British Sea Power’s fourth studio record, not counting last year’s Man Of Aran soundtrack album, and it’s definitely a step up from 2008’s Do You Like Rock Music? which despite it’s wonderful title somehow felt empty, as if the band was trying to create a big arena rock album but never really got past the surface of what makes rock great. Valhalla Dancehall might not be all that different from Do You Like Rock Music? soundwise but the songwriting, performances and the feeling of it is miles better.

The resulting album is the band’s strongest since their 2003 debut The Decline Of British Sea Power even if it’s not nearly as good (the aforementioned is one of the best indie rock albums of the ‘00s). The album starts out extremely strong with an excellent rocker in “Who’s In Control” and the quality holds up all the way through, but overall it’s a bit too long and would’ve benefited from a bit of editing in the middle. 7/10

Iron And Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean
[4AD/Warner Bros, 2011.01.25, Spotify]

Iron And Wine architect Sam Beam released his fourth full length less than a week ago, and it continues the journey he began on The Shepherd’s Dog and he’s moving farther and farther away from his early sound. The lo-fi acoustic sound on his 2002 debut album The Creek Drank The Cradle has become a big band sound with advanced production and electronics on Kiss Each Other Clean. Yet it’s clear that it’s the same writer behind the songs, however much the arrangements may differ, and Beam is still one of the stronger songwriters in the indie folk arena, as shown by the opening track “Walking Far From Home” and the closer “Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me”. Personally I prefer his previous three albums at the moment, although this seems like the kind of album that’ll be a grower due to the density of the production. 7/10

Talib Kweli – Gutter Rainbows
[Blacksmith Records, 2011.01.25, Spotify]

Talib Kweli is one of the more consistent rappers out there today, and has been since he first rose to fame in 1998 with Black Star, his collaboration with Mos Def. Gutter Rainbows is the first of supposedly two Talib Kweli albums to be released in 2011, with Gutter Rainbows being more in line with his previous work and the second one, entitled Prisoners of Consciousness, said to be more of a departure. The album doesn’t deliver any big surprises but it’s a very strong record of Talib Kweli doing what he does best. It doesn’t eclipse Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star or Reflection Eternal’s Train Of Thought but it shouldn’t disappoint his fans, and in my opinion it surpasses last year’s Reflection Eternal album Revolutions Per Minute. Gutter Rainbows also feels like an album rather than a collection of songs despite having thirteen different producers on fourteen tracks, although personally I would’ve liked a larger part of the album to feature by Ski Beatz, who produced my favourite track on the album, “Cold Rain”. 8/10

Sic Alps – Napa Asylum
[Drag City, 2011.01.25]

Napa Asylum is a sprawling two lp album by San Francisco garage rockers Sic Alps which despite being only 47 minutes long manages to almost feel like an Exile On Main St.-type record. It’s an impressive 22 song opus that incorporates elements from country and blues into their garage psych template. Soundwise it’s somewhere between a pure throwback to the ‘60s and the more modern-sounding garage rock bands of today, but it’s a must-listen for everyone into lo-fi, garage rock or indie rock. Due to the sprawling nature of the album it takes a few listens to sink in. 7/10

Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde
[Fat Possum, 2011.01.18]

Chicago’s Smith Westerns return with Dye It Blonde, the follow-up to their self-titled debut from 2009. They’ve enhanced the production values and turned up the T. Rex influences and end up with a dreamy summery sound which makes you long for warmer days. It also makes you wonder why they release the album during the coldest time of the year since this could’ve become the indie record of the summer. Not that they seem to be needing that kind of help considering the rave reviews Dye It Blonde has received from most major music publications giving them an 84 average on Metactric. Dye It Blonde sounds like a mix of early ‘70s T. Rex, The Beatles and Deerhunter’s Halcyon Digest from last year, making it an excellent mix of both old and new, and most importantly it’s a huge step forward for the band since the songwriting is much stronger than on their debut. 7/10

Jewellery Quarter by The Twang

My fellow blogger, sevenleggedoctopus, introduced to me a couple of weeks ago the band The Twang. It's a four-piece band from Birmingham, U.K. (yeah, we do have a thing for that country and its music) and I especially love their latest album, Jewellery Quarter from 2009. It's brilliant. It makes me think about summer and late night BBQs.

Here's one of my favourite tracks from Jewellery Quarter (since the other ones doesn't exist on youtube):



"Barney Rubble"

Here is also the link to the whole album, for those who have Spotify.

Listen and love.

Fleet Foxes announce new album entitled Helplessness Blues + download the title track

One of the most anticipated records of the indie world has been announced, the second record by folk rockers Fleet Foxes will be released on May 3 via Sub Pop. It's called Helplessness Blues and the title track of the album is available for download right here. Helplessness Blues is the follow-up to their acclaimed 2008 debut, the self-titled Fleet Foxes, and the pre-album ep Sun Giant. They've have also announced a couple of tour dates, which are available on their website, and they're also scheduled to play the Way Out West Festival here in Sweden in August.

Trophy Wife - Oxford's future hope?

One of the best songs at the moment is "Microlite" by Tropfy Wife. This Oxford based band has been compared with bands like Foals and Bombay Bicycle Club. I don't know if I agree about Bombay Bicycle Club, but there are definitely similarities between Trophy Wife and Foals. Is it only a coincidence that they are both from Oxford?

Stream The Kills' first single from Blood Pressures, "Satellite"

A few hours ago garage rock revivalists The Kills released "Satellite", the first single from their upcoming album Blood Pressures, and you can stream the single below. Blood Pressures is their first album since 2008's Midnight Boom, although singer Alison Mosshart have been busy working with Jack White in The Dead Weather releasing two albums in two years. Blood Pressures is out on April 5 in the US and April 4 in the rest of the world via Domino.

The Kills - Satellite by DominoRecordCo

Full album stream of Bright Eyes' The People's Key

 
Bright Eyes will release their new album The People's Key on February 15 via Saddle Creek Records but you can stream it legally over at NPR already. Check it out here. Bright Eyes will begin their European tour in support of the album next week before heading to in March.

European tour dates:
02.08 - Glasgow, UK - Oran Mor [sold out]
02.09 - Nottingham, UK - Rescue Room [sold out]
02.14 - London, UK - Scala [sold out]*
02.16 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Medis
02.18 - Berlin, Germany - Lido [sold out]
02.21 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso [sold out]#

*with Tim Kasher
#with Lia Ices

For the US dates, go here.

David's Lyre

I really don't remember where or even when I found out about this multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter/producer Paul Dixon. I guess I was lucky just stumbling over him somewhere. As an artist he goes under the name David's Lyre and he has mostly put up videos on YouTube performing covers carefully not showing his face. But on the 21th of February he releases his first EP called In Arms for Hideout Recordings. You can check out the official video for the lead track "In Arms" below.

In February he is supporting Chapel Club on tour and he is also doing some shows on his own:

February 2011
03 - Bristol, Thekla w/ CHAPEL CLUB
04 - Liverpool, Academy 2 w/ CHAPEL CLUB
05 - Sheffield, Leadmill w/ CHAPEL CLUB
07 - Leeds, Cockpit w/ CHAPEL CLUB
08 - Nottingham, Bodega w/ CHAPEL CLUB
10 - Glasgow, King Tut's Wah Wah Hut w/ CHAPEL CLUB
11 - Dundee, Doghouse w/ CHAPEL CLUB
12 - Newcastle, Cluny w/ CHAPEL CLUB
13 - Birmingham, Hare & Hounds w/ CHAPEL CLUB
15 - Southampton, Talking Heads w/ CHAPEL CLUB
16 - London, Heaven w/ CHAPEL CLUB
18 - Manchester, Night & Day
19 - Bristol, Start The Bus
23 - Bournemouth, 60 Million Postcards
24 - Brighton, Communion @ The Hope
25 - London, The Wheelbarrow
26 - Oxford, Jericho



Here you can download one of my favorite tracks called "Heartbeat":
David's Lyre - Heartbeat

Little comets - Joanna

This song and video is totally amazing. Reminds me of good times. Listen and love!