Wilsen #6 - Go Try

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After what seems like a long, long time of waiting, it is now less than a week until I finally get to see Wilsen perform live for the first time (at their debut headline London show next Tuesday, a gig I adhered to earlier on and is supported by the equally wonderful Sophie Jamieson - details).

The reason for my excitement will be apparent for long time followers of this little blog, an immaculate debut LP that I named one of my favourite records of 2012 is due to be followed by a new EP Magnolia, from which the title-track has already hinted at grander things for the Brooklyn based trio.

The EP's second taster "Go Try" is softer and more spacious than "Magnolia", drenched in restrained, elegant beauty from the get-go with swooning guitars and Tasmin's honey-toned vocals blissfully combining to dream-like results, it's the sort of track that compels you to stop what you are doing, close your eyes and immerse yourself fully within. Go and give that a try below:

Blessa #6 - Unfurl

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The first band I saw live in 2014 was Blessa, after spending 2013 writing about every track they released via their soundcloud I was delighted that my debut live experience lived up to hype, the show being the perfect extension of their studio sound, awash with shimmering guitars, precise drums and sharp bass-lines wrapped around the longing, romantic vocals of Olivia Neller.

The quartet have now announced their debut EP, Love Is An Evol Word due 23rd June via Generator and the bands own Carmel Records and a new track from it "Unfurl" (actually one of the bands first shared online back in early 2013). The Sheffield quartet have come a long way since that original version with the growth and confidence picked up along the way highlighted here, "Unfurl" is impeccable, the guitar textures are pristine and clean, the vocals clear and shine with a radiance of beauty and desire. Blessa confirm that they are one of the current crop of guitar bands to be truly excited about.

Sophie Jamieson #7 - Other

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Those of you who fell in love with Sophie Jamieson's "Stain" upon its release a few weeks ago, prepare to be excited / blown away all over again with the release of the tracks sister song "Other"...

The track can be seen as a continuation of "Stain", the two songs begging to be heard in unison (and for that reason I've included "Stain" again below), effortlessly entwining together and tackling the same subject matter from a different point of view. The result is similarly exquisite, a stark, haunting drip feed of emotions that touches long and hard.

Armed with such incredible songs and a genuine, kind character it fills me with great pleasure to see Sophie getting the recognition her hard work deserves. If you haven't already, you really should be downloading this beautiful single now - you can do that here.

Sophie (as ever) has lots of gigs coming up including a must-see show next week at The Slaughtered Lamb with Wilsen, followed by a slot on the BBC introducing stage at The Great Escape. See you there.

AViVAA - New Music "Introducing"

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If I could sum up the music I seem to be enjoying the most in 2014 in one track, the song would probably come something close to this. A melting pot of swooning bliss with exotic, smooth vocals like liquid gold (a phrase which is actually used in the song I'm talking about now) across a bed of luscious, retrained beats. They combine effortlessly to pull you in helplessly with a soft alluring touch and the repeated cries of "all I know is that I want to touch you...". It's pretty much the stuff dreams are made of. Good dreams too.

The track is called "XX" and is the second by AViVAA, the Sydney based duo of Aviva Payne and Matais Coulter. I'm already smitten.

Layla #3 - Black Mud

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Layla returns with the title track from her second EP Black Mud, a song which combines the luscious, dramatic soundscapes heard on "Smokestacks" with the beauty and intimate lyrics that initially pulled me towards her on her gorgeous debut EP New Year.

"Black Mud" aims to hit at your emotions, that much becomes clear after mere seconds as piano twinkles are joined by a string orchestra and Layla's soulful voice, they ebb and flow in perfect harmony with the instrumentation, one moment delicate, tender and pure, the next strong, passionate flourishes.

The result leaves me swooning for more and thankfully more is exactly what we can have, the five track Black Mud EP was released yesterday with limited physical copies of the EP available here.

Hunt - Reset My Bones

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Some blogs believe timing is key to a post, primarily blogs driven by ad revenue and 'clicks' who will pretty much only post about 'new' or 'en vouge' acts. Why else do so many blogs feel the need to tell you every time Arcade Fire have a 'celebrity' turn up at one of their shows or when Lana Del Rey or Miley Cyrus and etc etc murmurs any word at all. It certainly is not because they like or believe in what they are posting, it's all about generating money (whether that's to pay their no doubt large hosting costs or for the owner to create revenue is another topic altogether) but thankfully I'm not interested in ads or making money from this blog and am so free to post what I like without any worry or constraints (I'm not expecting to see any writers from a big blog walking around the with word slave written on their cheek mind!).

So with that waffle I move back to 2013 for this wonderful discovery, Swedish quartet Hunt who released their debut album Dark Come Sooner late last year via Kning Disk (the label that came to my attention thanks to originally releasing Anna Von Hausswolff's LP's) and the track "Reset My Bones" which cropped up in my email box thanks to a newly released video (shown below). It's a stunner.

Entwined around the poem "Jellyfish" by Andrea Gibson the track is heady mix of melody, emotion and beauty. It begins with a slow, longing introduction, built around a fuzzy bass line, metronomic drums and shimmering guitars before climaxing with a luscious crescendo of post rock noise and atmosphere and gorgeous, hazy vocal harmonies, light and dark merge effortlessly and my heart is instantly melted. Those drums at the end too...

Some searching around discovers Hunt's Bandcamp page and another track from the album "I Left" (as well as an earlier EP I've bookmarked for a time when it's not 1am - when I'm writing this), a more delicate track which brings out the soft beauty in Susanna Brandin's voice as ringing guitars, steady and sure, build with brooding intensity to another compelling, devastating conclusion. Have I already mentioned that I'm smitten?

Dark Come Sooner is available now on CD/LP via Kning Disk (order here). I already have.


Hunt - Reset my bones (feat Andrea Gibson) from Mats Udd on Vimeo.

Sake - New Music "Introducing"

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Saturday evening, I've got the kids this weekend which means a quiet evening in (which is very much needed) and a catch up on a few things, music I've saved into my draft folder (which is ever expanding) and writing up a couple of posts...

I'm starting with Sake whom I first discovered thanks to a mysterious one line email earlier this week and then later saw posted on Breaking More Waves (always a good sign). A debut track "Almost Never" wraps itself around you as it slowly unwinds amongst a stunning vocal (which thanks to a bit of online detective work Robin has uncovered as Welsh singer-songwriter Chloe Leavers) and textured instrumentation which gradually comes to the life as layers of subtle electronics, restrained beats and glacial guitars reach a stunning climax at the three minute mark. It makes you immediately reach for the repeat button.

Whilst we wait for more, "Almost Never" is available to download for free via Sake's website now.

Sea Change - Let's Dance

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Next week I'll do my The Great Escape preview, I've not decided the basis of it yet but it will pretty much feature the acts I think you should go and watch. First up though, here's a discovery I made thanks to the line-up announcement's (with a head-tip to Giselle).

Sea Change is the Norwegian artist Ellen A. W. Sunde whom is now living in Berlin and her track "Let's Dance" (anything but a Bowie cover) is full of lush soundscapes and bewitching atmosphere that should go down nicely in a dimly lit sea-front basement, the slow-burn track grows from stark beginnings with a sublime melody rising from skittering electronics, vivid textures and Ellen's ethereal vocals. Her debut track "Bursting" is similarly blissful, expansive lo-fi pop, full of fluttering beats, natural space and calming warmth, the result is compelling and immersive. Perfect for those in need of a lonely Friday night (that would be me).

Sea Change has two dates listed for The Great Escape:
UNITARIAN CHURCH 9th May 2014 6:45pm - 7:15pm
GREEN DOOR STORE 9th May 2014 12:30pm - 1:00pm

Mononoke #2 - New Music "Introducing"

I've been on a bit of a roll with female singers this week, so we'll let that continue a little bit longer with the return of Mononoke, an artist who still hasn't reveled her true identity but has followed up last years wonderful "Alice" with the equally forlorn beauty of "Barefoot and Broken".

The track is a plaintive piano led ballad which comes with the guarantee of stirring emotions within, through subtle atmospherics and Mononoke's stunning vocals delivery the listener is plunged into a dreamlike world of evocative thoughts and pure bliss. The accompanying video (with clips taken from the film 'Hanna') only helps you to drift away too. Simple yet devastating, as the repeated echoes of "hurts in the end" close the track it's easy to say that Mononoke has confirmed herself as a future pop starlet for the late, lonely nights ahead.

Nuoli - New Music "Introducing"

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I recently made the decision to take my inbox away from my iPhone and it feels liberating. As I've mentioned here on plenty of occasions, I get far more submissions in a day than I could ever listen to in a week. Personal filters, the general tone of the message (I always try and read direct message not full of obviously false praise) and the sender all point towards the messages I listen to over those I discard but still a bloggers inbox remains a key point of new music discovery (if the blogger is doing it right that is) and here's a perfect example of why...

Stockholm artist Nuoli and her debut (well that's what the PR release says, although I've since read blogs about another track) single "My Curse Is My Mind" immediately captures my current mood, a half-way house of beauty and emotion which pulls you in with its hypnotic atmosphere and dramatic percussive hook, the luxurious web of Nuoli's (aka Fanny Hultman) dreamy, rich vocals and shimmering guitars only help me to find the repeat button.

The obvious reference point is fellow Swede Lykke Li with "My Curse Is My Mind" building around stark melody, tribal beats and intimate lyrics but there's more here than that, soaring choruses with echoey guitars never far from explosion, it's intoxicating however you want to look at it and I can't wait to hear something more from Nuoli.

San Mei - Wars

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San Mei is the solo project of Australian Emily Hamilton and her new track "Wars" follows last years bittersweet bedroom pop gem "Brighter" (and is due for digital release via UK label Tidal Wave on May 12th).

This second track sees Emily further the lush, layered soundscapes that defined her debut track with beautifully soft vocals echoing around sparse production and the pitter-patter of electronic beats before at half-way mark the track reaches out and blossoms around soaring synths and delicious harmonies.

"Wars" has the feel of a sound that is heading in a direction that you can't help but fall for. Stream it below:

Alexandra Stewart - New Music "Introducing"

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If you're feeling anything like I am today, you'll be wishing there was an extra day to recover from your long Easter weekend excursions. I can't give you that unfortunately but I can provide you with a song that may just melt your heart.

"I Grow" is the new track by Brooklyn based Canadian artist Alexandra Stewart (new to me but follows last years WÀBÀ EP - discovered and available via Bandacmp).

I'll focus on the skeletal beauty that is "I Grow" for now, led by melancholic piano and understated instrumentation the song beguiles around its dreamy atmosphere and Alex's soft, luscious vocal, the sort of voice that carries you away and here I'm left with my eyes closed and transported to somewhere as beautiful as the artwork that comes supplied on the soundcloud track below. After three and a half minutes the track surprises, morphing from plaintive piano-ballad to something akin to a slow-motion Dirty Projectors at their finest, with ambient guitar shimmers and pared-down drums closing the track with the repeated whispers of the title. Absolutely gorgeous is this and that will do just fine for me today.

Pawws - Sugar

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I'd heard of Lucy Taylor's Pawws project before (with Lucy being familiar to me from her earlier involvement in The Citadels) but this track is my introduction to her solo music, a track called "Sugar" which more than lives up to its name (and is taken from her debut EP due in June)...

To call "Sugar" deliciously sweet would only be a half truth, it's even nicer than that. Like an eight year old left in a room of eggs by themselves on Easter Sunday it leaves you feeling all gooey and sickly on the inside as you are bewitched by the swoonsome combination of twinkling moonlight synths, restrained beats and Lucy's soft, pretty vocal. It's like the 80's never went away.

Pawws plays The Great Escape next month with a headline show at The Lexington planned for May 12th.

La Sera #4 - Running Wild

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Katy Goodman's La Sera project is my favourite thing she's done, I loved her 2012 full-length Sees The Light and her third album Hour of the Dawn promises to be even better listen, what with the previously shared "Losing to the Dark" and now the aptly titled "Running Wild" immediately catapulting themselves around my brain.

The track is a joyous, care-free anthem made for summer which encapsulates Katy's rich, vibrant approach to music with machine gun drums and sprawling guitars propelling the uplifting dual vocals - it's basically impossible now to love.

I'm looking forward to finally seeing La Sera live when Katy hits Hoxton Bar & Grill on May 23rd - tickets. Hour of the Dawn is released on May 13th and can be pre-ordered via Hardly Art now.

Lykke Li #6 - Gunshot

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The irreplaceable Lykke Li returns with the latest preview from her forthcoming third LP I Never Learn (due May 5th and available to pre-order here) "Gunshot".

The track is a slow-burner that blossoms from Lykke's typically devastating delivery and the same intimate, inwards emotion that accompanied earlier previews "No Rest For The Wicked" and "Love Me Like I'm Not Made Of Stone" to dramatic power-ballad choruses and the repeated cries of "never get you back".

I'm glad of those choruses because I've kept saying how strong and eighties her live set sounded at the BBC Six Music Festival last month yet until now all we'd heard from I Never Learn was its moments of pain and rejection, here Lykke Li takes those same feelings and turns them on themselves with big, bold defiance. Something she's done before of course on the wonderful "Get Some" from Wounded Rhymes. I'm pretty excited to hear this record in full. Just a couple of weeks now. Stream "Gunshot" below.

YOU - New Music "Introducing"

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North London quartet YOU have created a shiver-inducing debut single with "In Halves", a track which evokes instant Portishead comparisons thanks to its cool electronic edge, a haunting, almost claustrophobic piano and vocalist Anna Waldmann's ghostly vocals, floating dreamlike across a tapestry of silky tones and luscious ambiance. Quite divine.

The track is taken from an EP due 28th April via MUK Records with a date at London's Strongroom Bar next Wednesday, 23rd - details.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart #5 - Eurydice

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The Easter break is finally with us (or nearly with you, depending on your time-zone) so what better way of getting in the mood for four days off (assuming you work, I always think the demographic of this blog is of a similar age to me) than with The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.

Kip Berman and co have long perfected a carefree approach to indie-pop which results in a guaranteed smile-on-your-face listen which is perfectly encapsulated in the title of their forthcoming third LP Days of Abandon (due in the UK in June via Fierce Panda) and their latest track "Eurydice" is no different. It's not going to convert any nay-sayers but propelled by spritely percussion and shimmering guitar textures the track bristles with excitement against boy-girl vocals and warming, optimistic melody, basically the sort of song made for singing aloud to.

With this post I'll wish a Happy Easter to you all. I'm taking a couple days off from the blog to spend some real time with my family but they'll be a couple of pre-writes to follow and make it look like I'm still here....

The Cadbury Sisters - Milk

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I've been meaning to catch up with The Cadbury Sisters since I included them as one of my picks for the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Contest earlier this year and the arrival of a new video for their track "Milk" serves as the perfect opportunity...

The track is the biggest and boldest heard from the sibling trio to date and combines what originally caught my attention, smoldering, entwined harmonies and finger-plucked acoustic guitars with slow-burning soundscapes that grows to an incredible finale as burgeoning percussion and meaty electric riffs come to the fore before closing with a delicate return to those haunting voices. I love it.

"Milk" is taken from a new five track EP Close which is due for release on June 16th via Fear of Fiction Records.

Lazy Day - With My Mind

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Lazy Day might be a new name to you but perhaps Tilly Scantlebury and Hella Better Dancer are not, they certainly aren't new to me with HBD being a band I've supported on this blog for almost three years now with the relationship leading to my little label Beautiful Strange releasing a physical version of their (and with that knowledge you maybe aware that a biased opinion awaits) stunning single "Sleeptalking" late last year (the band also played for Beautiful Strange live shows on a couple of occasions, yes I'm lucky).

So with that in mind, it's with great pleasure that I got a sneaky early listen to the track I'm going to try and refrain from painting with too many superlatives today. "With My Mind" is most fully realised track that Tilly has released thus far under her Lazy Day pseudonym. Earlier tracks shared on her Soundcloud suited the band name (currently just Tilly, with hopefully a live band and dates to follow) perfectly, full of plaintive daydreams and spacious, echoed vocals. "With My Mind" takes that further with a brooding intensity and a hypnotic guitar riff that will embed itself in your brain, couple it with Tilly's magnetic voice, her sumptuous, soothing tones wrap around you and soon you're lost deep within. Quite brilliant.

Fear of Men #11 - Decent / America

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I'm so slow on the uptake / behind on my emails (I'm still working from the backlog that comes with year-end at work and going on a mini-holiday) that one new track from Fear of Men has become two. With their debut full-length Loom almost with us (due next week via Kanine Records), I was already pretty excited for its release after following the band for about three years and hearing its opening tracks "Alta / Waterfall" and first single "Loom", now these new tracks confirm it's guaranteed placing amongst the years finest LP's so far.

On the surface "Descent" seems to a beautifully sweet, surging pop nugget with blossoming string instrumentation and Jess' honey-toned vocals, however, a darker tone is never too far away and the intimate lyrics hint at troubles from the result of over-reliance on one person. The other new one "America" is perhaps the biggest indication of the bands transformation, from an a cappella introduction to a flawless multi-textured gem which brings together the bands infinite charm, fragile emotions and engulfing beauty. I'm off to see the band tonight at Birthdays - it should be a belter.

Fickle Friends - Play

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I'm happy to swallow my words when I'm wrong (after all, it doesn't happen too often) and that's exactly what I'm doing here... A few months back Brighton quintet Fickle Friends appeared from nowhere with a bubble of blog hype (possibly the first real one of 2014) with their debut track "Swim", a ready made anthem with glorious synths and guitar combining with happy-go-lucky vocals. For some reason it never quite connected with me, it's probably the clinking rhythms in at the start. Anyway, it doesn't matter, a few weeks back they returned with their second track "Play" and now here I am, a fully subscribed member of their fan club (or the 2014 equivalent at least, a follower on Facebook).

"Play" combines the same radio friendly charm as "Swim" but gives more freedom to the irresistible voice of Natassja Shine, her swooning words rise to power-pop choruses amongst giddy instrumentation and a chorus so catchy it's going to embed itself in your head from the very first listen.

The band are due to play next months Great Escape festival and I'm definitely interested to see how their sound transfers to a live show.

Meadowlark - New Music "Introducing"

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I'm forever posting 'slow, melancholic, beautiful' music here and whilst this track, "Family Tree" by new Plymouth / Bristol trio Meadowlark can certainly be allocated those words, it's also so much more than that...

"Family Tree" is a rich, expansive track that grows from sparse beginnings, where a delicate piano guides Kate McGill's stunning vocals to increasingly gorgeous highs as flourishes of sweeping, cinematic strings and guitar swirls build to a joyously uplifting climax that pulls firmly at your emotions.

They've got a debut EP called Three Six Five due via Believe Recordings next month with a supporting UK tour which includes a date at London's Sebright Arms on May 27th. The EP can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp now.

Iris & Hedvig - New Music "Introducing"

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From one Scandinavian duo to another today, moving to Sweden now for the debut single by Iris & Hedvig and their track "The Watcher And The Mind" (released via Loud Attic Records).

I'm hearing lots of things that I like here as you are immediately introduced to the girls' luscious vocals, rising amongst a swelling percussive beat that climaxes with a big, bombastic chorus that recalls Oh Land's finest pop moments around swooning strings. It's both darkly dramatic and beautiful - characteristics that are pretty much guaranteed to have me jumping to press the post button...

Mona & Maria - My Sun

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I meant to post about Mona & Maria last year when I discovered them with the 60's inspired "Babyflowers", a luscious, swooning string drenched track which will be perfect to soundtrack any bbq you are thinking of having over the elongated Easter Holidays (if the glorious UK weather holds for a bank holiday of course). A glorious, harmony led beauty influenced by the likes of The Mama's and Papa's with fantastic voices and shining, nostalgic dreams.

The reason for this post though is another track, "My Sun", the title track from the Norwegian duo's debut album (out now via Jansen Plateproduksjon), a track that (again) sounds like it could have been made at any time in the last fifty years, here more ethereal, psyche-folk that contrasts between light and shade, mellow vocals and dramatic, fuzzed-up guitars. Heavenly stuff.

Sophie Jamieson #6 - Stain

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I've left this track a couple of days since my return from holiday (if you call running a marathon that, I suppose I do) on purpose, for the simple reason that just about every blog I follow (that's the dozen or so in the right-hand column of this page) has posted about this track already.

Sophie Jamieson has soon become a real favourite of mine, a progressive near-to London based singer-songwriter who has developed before my eyes (and ears) with a beguiling blend of tug at your emotions lyrics, luxorious voice and haunting, swelling instrumentation. The latest result of their (Sophie Jamieson, now referring to a quartet) hard work (and I mean hard work, Sophie must have played around 200 gigs since I first discovered her about eighteen months ago) is the quite exquisite "Stain".

"Stain" leaves exactly that on you, combining Sophie's delectable vocals, heart shattering lyrics and restrained instrumentation, the perfect marriage of space and structure to get under your skin with spine-tingling effect. The track comes backed with "Other", a song I talked about back in February, then a live take for Sofar Sounds and now a full realised beauty which highlights her bands influence more than ever (I'm sure I'll be revisiting it when a public stream is made) and is available now on iTunes via Luv Luv Luv Records.

Ice Cream Cathedral - The Swans

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I'm not sure if there is a The Time reference within the band name Ice Cream Cathedral or not but I like it anyway, a Danish trio who come to my attention through their latest, bizarre yet incredible single "The Swans". It's taken from their second album Sudden Anatomy due later this year via Riot Factory and although I'm going to focus on the eight minute track and accompanying video today I've been listening to an earlier Imprint EP and I'm wondering how I'd not found the band sooner.

Immediately taking their self-defined genre of 'space pop' to the next level with a video that sees the trio on an intergalactic journey across the universe propelled by subterranean beats and dreamy, Blade Runner esque atmosphere. It's not just Anja T. Lahrmann's breathy, soothing vocals that draws instant comparison with Annie Clark's but the magical sonic pallette that "The Swans" follows, deliciously offbeat, eccentric and unpredictable, woozy synths are complemented by soaring guitars and all manner of 'space' effects and then at the four minute mark the bizarre turns into the unfathomable when the video sees the trio arrive on a barren looking planet inhabited by gigantic dogs (really) as the track morphs into an elongated instrumental ending of stark instrumentation and galloping beats. Quite the introduction!

Aldous Harding - New Music "Introducing"

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I've got French For Rabbits to thank for this introduction, Aldous Harding is a New Zealand based singer-songwriter whom has just released her debut album via home-label Lyttelton Records and if there's is any justice it will shortly become a cult favourite amongst lovers of lush, retro folk and otherworldly voices.

I'm not very good at album reviews, so I've picked three tracks to focus on here, the album's opener "Stop Your Tears" was the track that introduced me to Aldous Harding (aka Hannah) and instantly pulls you into an alternate world of genteel beauty. A beguiling acoustic guitar provides the platform for much of the album and here its soft plucks and haunting backing harmonies are the only accompaniment to Hannah's voice, a timeless, natural tone which is capable of making the hairs on your neck stand on end.

There's more instrumentation behind "Titus Groan" which with rich guitars and strings is the musical equivalent of big comforting hug whilst the darkest and most devastating track of all is the stunning "No Peace", a purposely slow track that hits hard with raw, emotive power. Find some time for yourself in a darkly lit room (ideally with a nice glass of whiskey) and immersive yourself in Alodous Harding below.

French For Rabbits are due in the UK soon, any chance of stowing away in their luggage?!

Wilsen #5 - Magnolia

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It's been a little while since we heard new music from Wilsen, my 'third favourite album of 2012' Sirens the sole release from the Brooklyn based trio led by UK born Tasmin Wilson until now and the announcement of Magnolia, a four track EP due on May 18th in support of her debut UK tour (which includes some rather tasty looking dates; a tour with Matthew & The Atlas is followed by dates on May 6th at Slaughtered Lamb with Sophie Jamieson, May 7th with Broken Twin at St John's Church and concluded by two shows at The Great Escape festival).

The title track "Magnolia" instantly reassures and finds even more, a luscious, stirring melody complementing Tasmin's enchanting vocal and heart-shattering lyrics, here as crystal clear and intimate as ever amongst rhythmically powerful percussion and mellow guitar shimmers. Everything you could ask for in a track is here, atmosphere, beauty, a devastating voice; I'm smitten all over again.

Las Robertas #3 - Marlene

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It's been a little while since we've heard from Costa Rica's fabulous Las Robertas (last years Dissected Affair EP) and even longer still since I saw them live back in June 2011. That wait is over with "Marlene", the first track to be taken from their second album Days Unmade (as yet undated).

Whilst "Marlene" continues the trio's love affair with short, sharp songs rattled through at a blistering pace the track leaves behind much of the older garage sound for one more alike to JAMC or more recently Crocodiles, it creates an exhilarating listen with thick, scuzzy guitars echoing over jangly electric-paced rhythms and cool, harmony vocals - an irresistible slice of head-bobbing indie fuzz goodness awaits...

Bird #7 - A War

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Hot on the heels of the wonderful "The Rain Song" comes the Liverpool quartet Bird's latest single "A War" (taken from their forthcoming debut My Fear & Me and due via Baltic Records next month). I've been listening to this non-stop since last night and even though it's something I feel like I say every time I write about this band, this is perhaps their finest moment yet...

It encompasses everything I've come to love about Bird within three and a half minutes, the dominating tribal beat that propels the track makes it hard to call it a slow-burner but from an ambient opening, Adele's hypnotic vocals and thudding bass rhythms slowly rise from darkly-hued embers to a soaring peak of delicious harmony and chiming guitars. "A War" is quite simply delicious.

There is an album tour to follow in June and your attendance should be mandatory - this band is even better live - dates.

Priscilla Ahn - Remember How I Broke Your Heart

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I'm probably have meant to have heard of Priscilla Ahn by now, she has over 100k Facebook followers and whilst I'm not entirely sure that is an accurate measure of 'real fans' it is quite the number to have, her heart-wrenching track "Remember How I Broke Your Heart" serves as my introduction and it's one that has done literally that.

Music can touch deepest when it's at its simplest and "Remember How I Broke Your Heart" is exactly that, little more than Priscilla's gentle, pretty voice and delicate finger-plucked acoustic / twinkling piano chords, it touches you deep inside and serves as the perfect break up accompaniment.

Another track found via Soundcloud and taken from the same album, February's This Is Where We Are "Diana" is an entirely different ball game, with an abrasive synth beat and searing experimental soundscapes that could be lifted from a St Vincent album track, it's only Priscilla's dreamy, soft vocals floating on top of the mix that remain, I like the change-up and I'm intrigued to hear more (something I promise to do when I've caught up with some of the 300 odd unread emails in my inbox!).

This Is Where We Are  is available now via iTunes.

Bondage & Discipline - Only Your Love

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When a band is called Bondage & Discipline you literally have no idea what to expect as a blogger. The track you press play on could quite easily be from some horrific hardcore-rock band from Eastern Europe or a sex drenched Euro-pop trance horror, or as in the actually case, the debut track from an electro pop/rock trio from Philly who have risen from the ashes of another band (The National Rifles). In this case it's (thankfully) the latter.

"Only Your Love" starts off as a sumptuous slice of 80's inspired nostalgia with a sparking rhythmic synth melody that's insanely catchy amongst bright piano keys and reverb heavy vocals, the luscious mix becomes slightly darker nearer the end once the distant guitars are allowed to come to the fore for a soaring finale that hints at much more to come.

A compelling debut, listen below:

School #3 - Head Over Here

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Whilst writing the earlier Call Me post I discovered I'd missed a new track by the wonderful School and decided that there is no time quite like the present to play catch-up, especially when the song "Head Over Here" is quite this brilliantly catchy.

Returning to the exhilarating indie-pop melody of their debut track "SoLong", "Head Over Here" is the Gothenburg quartet's finest, brightest moment yet and combines Alice's swooning way with words with a galloping rhythm section and buoyant guitar shimmers, the result is a trip down memory lane guaranteed to lift your mood and have you tapping your toes - get it on your summer mix-tape now.

"Head Over Here" is available to download now via Luxury. Posting about other labels shall resume tomorrow!

Call Me - New Music "Introducing"

I've recently learnt to pay attention to anything that comes out of the Swedish label Luxury, as recent posts on bands The Sun Days and School will testify. The latest act to come to my attention through their releases is Call Me, the project of Stockholm's Anna Norden Ströms, she appears to have released a couple of tracks late last year but this track "Disclosed" comes as my introduction, a stirring one at that too.

Growing from a slow-burning introduction, where a minimal synth beat comes alive with Anna's beautiful vocals at around the minute mark with a glistening key led melody building to a rousing, emphatic finale. The lyrics mirror the change too, from the resigned to the optimistic, with the opening words of "maybe it's too late for us" leading to the repeated final cries of "I can show you more than you know". I can see this going down quite well.

"Disclosed" is available to download now from Bandcamp.

Joseph - New Music "Introducing"

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I came across the band Joesph, a trio of Sisters on the front page of Noisetrade, a tag line of 'listen to this if you like First Aid Kit and The Staves' is instantly enough to arouse my interest and I soon clicked on the link. The headline did its job.

Whilst the track I first heard and embed below "Cloudline" has moments of similarity to the aforementioned acts, with gorgeous harmonies rising and falling through a beautiful melody Joseph sound like their own too, a darkly hued folk number led by the repeated chords of a piano and bold songcraft which grows in strength with percussive claps used to great effect.

After a couple of listens to the bands debut album Native Dreamer Kin (which is available to download now via Bandcamp) I'm hooked, an unfailingly lovely combination of soft, fingerplucking acoustic, perfect song structure and fabulously sweet harmonies (my personal favourite "Gold" or "Tell Me It's A Garden") and a big, deep, rhythmic swoon of Americana ("Wind", "Eyes to the Sky").

$9 - what's that? about one and half English beers. I know which one will stay with you longer....

Layla #2 - Smokestacks

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On January's introducing Layla post I was talking about 'a collection of gently melancholic tracks full of sweet, sweet charm and exquisite melody that leaves me all tingly inside' and now I feel a little bit silly because the London based singer returns with a "Smokestacks" and it's not really any of those things.

Instead, slowly rising from a sombre piano based intro "Smokestacks" grows with dramatic effects, Layla's powerful lead vocals and strong harmonies to become a full on pop-hit banger that you can expect to here on the radio all summer long. It's taken from her new EP Black Mud which is due on April 28th with a debut London headline show at The Social the very next day to celebrate - details.

Illyin Pipes #2 - Still

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A quick return for Illyin Pipes here after January's introducing post with perhaps the Toronto based project of Jill Harris' finest track yet, their latest single "Still" was released a few back and in short is absolutely bloody gorgeous.

It starts with luscious key tones and skittering beats before we are first introduced to Jill's knock-out vocal, here as smooth and easy on the ear as can be and perhaps hiding the tracks wistful lyrics its beauty before morphing into dazzling 80's style electro-pop with a strong melody and the repeated refrain of "but I still come to you". Heavenly stuff.

"Still" is available to download now on a pay-what-you-like basis from Bandcamp.

Amaya Laucirica - Prettier Than The Sound

Facebook / amayalaucirica.com

The press release attached that to the email that serves as my discovery to Amaya Laucirica states the tracks I'm talking about today are from the Melbourne based singer/songwriter / band's third album, judging by just how many of my boxes are instantly ticked I'm left wondering quite how I'd never heard of her before.

"Prettier Than The Sound" and "On The Air" are the first two tracks from the aforementioned Sway, the former exactly as described within its title, with jagged guitars and precise percussion leading to a gorgeously light and textured vocal, uplifting and bright amongst shimmering guitars. It's one of the (dare I say it) prettiest jangle-pop tracks I've heard all year. "On The Air" has a little more edge to it, bringing Metric or Blond Redhead to mind with Amaya's sweeping vocals and a strong melody made up of twinkling synths and driving beats. It's the sort of sound made for the UK, gloriously rich full of subtle hints of darkness.

The press release states the Australian release of Sway as April 18th, with the Internet bringing down International borders and such hopefully those outside the country will find the release the same.

Ottilia #3 - Siren

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I've got one hell of a back-log of blogs to post at the moment (which is only going to get worse as I'm away for four days from tomorrow) but my excitement at seeing a new track by Ottilia pop up in my soundcloud stream means the London based Swede jumps straight to the front of the queue.

Her new track "Siren" is the first published online for almost a year but confirms exactly what I said on my original posts, here's a voice and talent sure to 'breakthrough' whenever her moment is right.

"Siren" is as minimal as they come, much likes last years "and then he said" demo and causes goosebumps with little more than Ottilia's woozy, lovelorn voice, the repeated, haunted vocal of "Don't go home with me, I'm a siren" and the lullaby echoes of an acoustic guitar, it's all that is needed to be carried away by this intoxicating, emotive beauty.

Hopefully there's more to follow very, very soon (and live dates too).

September Girls #9 - Sister

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A little later than I planned after spending 24 hours unexpectedly in bed thanks to a lovely bout of sickness (in the same week that I'm running a marathon no less) I return to post about one of this blogs long standing love affairs, I think I've posted about every September Girls single to date so it would be rude to make an exception now...

"Sister" is the latest track to be taken from January's debut Cursing The Sea (out now via Fortuna Pop!) and takes the quintet's reverb-soaked noise-pop to darker streets. Paula's lead vocals are low in the mix perhaps hiding the tracks challenging subject matter amongst a sea of distorted, rumbling bass rhythms and echoey guitars which grow in strength throughout to a concluding climax of raw, gritty brutality far away from the bands garage-pop beginnings and sounds more like something you'd expect to hear from a newly found Joy Division out-take but with sweetly harmonies of course.

September Girls are back in London playing Hoxton Bar & Kitchen on April 18th and are also confirmed for May's Great Escape festival amongst a slew of other dates. You've no excuse not to get your dancing shoes on.

First Aid Kit #6 - My Silver Lining

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It's April 1st already (no fool's joke here) and the great news is First Aid Kit are back, "My Silver Lining" is the first track taken from their forthcoming third album Stay Gold (due June 10th, just in time for a Glasto slot eh?!).

For those of you who have seen the Söderberg sisters live, you'll know there is no escaping their uplifting charm and they've transferred that to their music here, "My Silver Lining" is as optimistic a moment as we've heard from the duo and shines amongst a flourishing orchestra and bright, bold arrangements. The cinematic, made for the road track is as big and romantic a moment as we've heard from the sisters but it's still Klara's delicious lead vocals and incandescent harmonies which I'm drooling over after half a dozen plays already. Welcome back girls, it's been too long (yeah, only about a eighteen months I know).

Early birds can pre-order Stay Gold now in sparkling gold vinyl with the option for a signed print too - direct from the First Aid Kit store.