Wednesday, 20 January 2010
LAURA VEIRS - JULY FLAME
Every review I read of this album before I listened to it raved about how good it was. 'July Flame' is Laura Veirs' seventh album and it seems acclaim has finally come her way. The folk and indie-rock balladry are beautiful and this album makes me want to explore her past work, which is why I love discoveries like this, not just new acts, but also ones who have been around and worked for their success, finally getting the attention the deserve.
'July Flame' might mention a summer month, but I can think of no better time to listen to this album than in these chilly and uncertain winter months (although I have yet to listen to it when the sun is going down in the summer). The songs mix a great range of simple instrumentation with Laura's voice and lyrics, as well as hazy backing harmonies that all help to create this woozy, poetic folk record.
BROKEN BELLS - BROKEN BELLS
The Shins' James Mercer and Danger Mouse have been working on 'Broken Bells' since 2008 but the collaboration was kept quite a secret until it's release in March was announced a few months back. Claiming he had wanted to release a solo album for some time, Mercer and Danger Mouse met a few years ago and got together to record something they both enjoyed and felt was experimental.
It's hard to go wrong when you have Danger Mouse producing your album, and 'Broken Bells' rarely does. Great harmonies that will of course remind you of The Shins are enhanced by some interesting electronic production. 'The High Road' was the lead single and after one listen you can see why, it encapsulates the whole album, whilst songs like 'Vaporize' highlight the Gnarles Barkley feel to old-school keyboards. I'm not sure if the album is as 'experimental' as Broken Bells first made out, but I suppose the combination of the both artists was an eyebrow raiser at first, and in the end, a nice listen; an easy start to 2010.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Monday, 18 January 2010
Introducing... Caitlin Rose
"Imagine Jenny Lewis acting her socks off in Oklahoma!, playing a toothless hillbilly in Deliverance or assuming the male role in a musical remake of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."
Introducing... Best Coast
As well as a list of 2010 albums to look forward to, I'm going to make a lists of some more acts to look out for that are worth doing some searching and some listening. I had to pick out Best Coast right now though because I am so in love with these tunes.Slightly better than the current 'chillwave' hyped acts (Washed Out, Neon Indian etc), Best Coast make lo-fi 60's garage rock and surf music fronted by 22 year old Bethany Cosentino. There a few Ep's floating around the net, but check out their myspace for great songs like 'When I'm With You', 'Make You Mine' and 'Sun Was High (So Was I)'.
You may recognise Best Coast from the current 'Skins' promos aswell.
VAMPIRE WEEKEND - CONTRA
I'm not sure about everyone else, but I had no idea how Vampire Weekend were going to follow up their 2008 debut. Don't get wrong, I loved their first record, it was completely different to anything else around and they made some of the most interesting new music as well as some of the catchiest pop tunes (A-Punk, Oxford Comma), but without repeating the trick and getting boring, what were they going to do on a follow-up to stay so current?
Well the answer is 'Contra', another delightful, soulful, different and enjoyable record. There are so many elements to Vampire Weekend's music that it is hard to know where to start describing it, yet alone try and decifer all their influences. Yea, the wonky, afro-beat rhythms are still there, as are the opaque lyrics, but whether you understand it, or even 'get it', no one can listen to this album and not feel something joyful, mostly wanting it to be summer already. 'Holiday' is fantastic, 'Horchata' sounds like some Little Mermaid theme tune, and in 'Cousins' they have another 'A-Punk' indie disco classic.
Coming Soon... Pete & the Pirates
Amsterdam Acoustics : ''Pete and the Pirates'' on their walk through the city from Mokummercials on Vimeo.
There are so many albums to look forward to in 2010, soon I may put a little list together, but here is a teaser video from one of the best bands around at the moment, Pete & the Pirates, who promise their album is coming soon. No details have been made available yet, but expect some in the near future, along with some new dates.
GOOD SHOES - NO HOPE, NO FUTURE
Good Shoes debut 'Think Before You Speak' was one my favourite albums of the past couple of years. Every single song could have been a single and it made a lasting impression on me. Seeing them live on a few occasions has also been a pleasure. So after two songs, 'The Way My Heart Beats' and single 'Under Control' were made available before new effort 'No Hope, No Future' was released, I had really high hopes for this record.
Unfortunately the album doesn't quite live up to the expectations I had set by their glorious debut and the two new singles. They are by far the best offerings on the album, perhaps with the exception of 'Our Loving Mother In A Pink Diamond'. It is still a good album, but I still can't help feeling slightly underwhelmed as I know what the band are capable of. The album is slightly darker in a Maccabees-style-sophomore way, but still unmistakably Good Shoesm mainly due to Steve Leach's scratch guitar and Rhys Jones' singing. It is still an enjoyable listen the whole way through. I just really hope they get the chance to make a few more records after this one. And I would definitely catch them live if you get the chance.
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