Embers #4 - Part of the Echoes

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I've been purposely slow on this post, there's not been a week gone by since the end of November when I've not featured Embers so I thought I'd give you a little rest before you thought I was a paid PR for the band, just a little one mind, I don't want you thinking I've gone off the band either!

After the majestic "Hollow Cage" was released to the world six weeks ago now the Internet (belatedly in my opinion) has gone a little bit potty (in perspective) over the Manchester band, the remaining copies of their debut 7" were promptly snapped up and a whole host of blog posts and radio coverage soon followed, the second part of their Gorton Monastery films "Part of the Echoes" was released just before Christmas and follows "Hollow Cage" as a piece of mesmerisingly brilliant work that will blow your mind away...

Leaving no time for you to catch your breath the quartets already signature sounds are instant evidence, "Part of the Echoes" is brimmed with shattered emotions, powerful and euphoric, wave after wave of shimmering soundcapes lead to another intense, rewarding and phenomenal track, cinematic and grandiose, soaring yet immediately beautiful, "Part of the Echoes" is another track to place in a so far impeccable discography.

NO - New Music "Introducing"

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This post comes via Breaking More Waves and I agree with Robin in pretty much every way. I'd not heard of Echo Park quintet NO (yes, a terrible name and a real search engine friendly one to boot!) previously but you really cannot mention them or the tracks on their soundcloud ("The Long Haul", "Another Life" and "Stay With Me" are linked below to stream) without mentioning The National.

I'm sure it's a bane of the band already so I do apologise for the lazy work but when you listen to their music it fills you with the same feelings (no, it's not derivative either). It's not just the baritone vocals of Bradley Hanan Carter (though less 'bitter' than Matt Berninger's) that draws the comparison, "Another Life" is soaked with the same sense of brooding melancholia, where raw and reflective power sweeps through rich, atmospheric instrumentation and magnificent drums. "There's a Glow" is brighter and stadium bound with bright, sweeping hooks, a real sing-along anthem of a track. "The Long Haul" starts slow and deliberate, sombre and dark and builds with luxurious drama, it's spellbinding stuff, intelligent lyrics and fraught with deep emotional tension throughout, immerse yourself in NO for what they are, their own.

The aforementioned tracks are taken from the bands six track EP Don't Worry, You'll Be Here Forever, released as long ago as November 2011 (now sold out on 12" vinyl) which can be purchased digitally on a pay-what-you-like basis from the groups bandcamp.

Sea Lion #2 - Love Story

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Sea Lion (Linn Osterberg) has one of those beguiling, beautiful vocals that I could listen to every night, soothing and bewitching, her voice could heal any wounded heart and sooth tired limbs.

Since my superlative laden review of her album Guns of Alaska Linn has released a couple of covers on her soundcloud, the latest is "Love Story" (a cover of the track originally called "Where Do I Begin" and made famous by Andy Williams on the film of the same name). It runs at only two minutes in length but is mesmerising, a simple pared-down beauty as heartfelt and understated as anything you'll hear. Gorgeous.

I've also included a live version of "Sun Lions Army", a track due for inclusion on Sea Lion's forthcoming 2013 album (details yet unknown) which gives another introduction to her intimate, ethereal wonder.

Plaid Dragon - New Music "Introducing"

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I apologise to my introducer of Plaid Dragon (if any). A link to their EP, which I'm about to talk about, was simply saved in my draft folder over Christmas, my amnesia is sufficient to mean I'm not sure where it came from. Checking back over the folder though led me to discover a four track EP bristling with shimmering melodies, twinkling keys and heart-warming vocals.

Opener "SoND" a perfect example of that, which from its opening uke chords is beautifully endearing, the type of track that lets your mind slip off to somewhere endlessly rewarding. "Bird Years" similarly starts with Ukulele plucks but here is brighter and more energetic on a luminescent, up-lifting melody.

The highlight of the EP though is the title track and closure, which spends three minutes of its duration as a blissful folk-ish tune, with languid instrumentation and mellow vocals before exploding in a cacophony of noise. A wonderful signal of intent with the five piece from Missouri due to release a follow up early this year.

Download Dog Physics via bandcamp on a pay-what-you-like basis.

Big Deal - Teradactol

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I saw Big Deal play over a year ago now, they were *ok*, a duo with delicate acoustic instrumentals combining with entwined male/female harmonies, it should perhaps have ticked my boxes a little more than it did but sometimes it just doesn't, for little or no apparent reason.

This though, their latest single, does that and more. If you'd have told me this was the same Big Deal I saw perform live (I think at The Lexington) I'd have laughed at you. The track "Teradactol" is a completely different beast with Big Deal now a four piece, a colossal, fuzzed-up monster with galloping drums and distorted guitars howling around the ethereal harmonies.

"Teradactol" is the first track taken from the bands forthcoming second album and certainly has me salivating for more.

The Blog Sound of 2013: Final Five

Just before Christmas this blog (alongside a whole host of other UK blogs listed in the original post) revealed the fifteen acts which made up The Blog Sound of 2013. (Head to the same post for the full details of the acts and artists in the long-list).

Today's follow up posts is to share with you the final results, the top five acts as voted by the blogs involved - I posted my initial thoughts on the artists that made the long-list already and if you cross-reference that post you might be able to work out the two acts I voted for that made the final five, which can be revealed today:

5th The Neighbourhood - Website

3rd= Pins - Website
3rd= Savages  - Website

2nd Chvrches  - Website

1st Haim  - Website

So, as with so many polls, there is no real surprise with the winner of the Blog Sound of 2013. Haim are one of three acts (Savages and Chvrches the others) who also made the BBC Sound of List (for which this alternative list was - for good and worse - born to compliment) and the US sisters are surely good value to top that list too.

The Blog Sound list veers more to the alternative/indie side of things with little to no impact from rap artists in its lists. Of course there are more criticisms you could level at theses lists. I read one comment on the BBC Sound of forum (perhaps it was at The Guardian) which stated the list was rubbish because "I've never heard of these acts". A nonsense comment if you've ever heard one, surely that's the reason for such things, to share new bands with a wider audience. Not that Haim need any help, their music does more than enough.

A playlist of the top five artists is below (you might want to turn it off before track five!)...