Blog: Eclectic Eavesdroppings

Clock Opera: Once And For All It always amazes me how some bands take almost no time to go from nobodies to somebodies in the music business whereas others gradually bide their time and patiently make the killer move when the time is right. Clock Opera  definitely form part of the latter category. Having released Once And For All - their first proper piece of material - way back in 2009, they have just edited the song for its official 2012 release. Not only is the song an excellent tour-de-force in electro pop but the video [...]

• clockopera - Belongings

Pogo - Upular (3D Audio Version) hamburglr : Go grab some headphones. No, not your iPod earbuds. The best headphones you’ve got. Take a break from whatever you’re doing for two minutes, turn the volume up and press play. The result: surround sound awesomeness.

Jagwar Ma: Come Save Me Upcoming talent from the land down under [ mp3 ]

Following on (belatedly) from Eclectic Eavesdroppings Favourite Albums of the year, here are my Favourite Songs of 2011 . Compressing the musical year into a mere twenty-five songs is a tough task for a music junkie like myself. Listing the songs in order of preference is near impossible. But either way, I’ve done my best to get a list together and even though it’s incredibly subjective, it sums up a very good year in music. Stream it as a playlist on YouTube over HERE or download a copy of the whole mix over HERE . [...]

Music bloggers love lists and regrettably, I’m not different. So to give the year some closure, it’s only right if I list off my favourite musical moments of the calendar year. I’ll start off with my 15 Favourite Albums of 2011 and then in a couple days time I’ll put up my 25 Favourite Songs of 2011 . Just to reiterate, this is merely my humble opinion; nothing more, nothing less. I’ve only got one set of ears and simply can’t listen to all the excellent music to justify any hyperbolic claims. The over-saturation of the online musical scene makes [...]

Jay-Z & Kanye West: Niggas in Paris What a moment. The most infectious song of the year. Period.

King Charles: Ivory Road [ mp3 ]

Every blogger and their second removed aunt caught wind of Miike Snow ’s return to the musical realm last week. The Swedish trio certainly made a lasting impact in 2009 when they burst onto the scene with an excellent album of electronic mastery. The band recently tweeted that the new album is already complete and that they’re just putting the final touches on everything. Devil’s Work [ mp3 ] is a great track that lives up to its name with dramatic undertones and some eclectic instrumentation. According to the boys “this isn’t [...]

In anticipation of Thug Motivation 103 , Atlanta rapper Young Jeezy called in some lofty favours for this monster on a track. Guest features don’t come a lot better than Jay-Z and Andre 3000 …thankfully it lives up to the hype. The snowman has been around the block for a little while but I’ve always been more fond of his features than his actual songs. Maybe times are changing… I Do  [ mp3 ] has been on constant rotation for about a month now. It stikes the golden balance between boastful [...]

Benjamin Francis Leftwich: Atlas Hands (via Zeftopia ) The perfect soundtrack to a Sunday afternoon spent studying.

He wears Harry Potter spectacles, occasionally dates Peaches Geldof and is the frontman for the next big British guitar band. His name is Fred MacPherson and his band is called Spector . The five piece reign from London and follow in the well trodden tracks of many British rockers. Comparisons have been made with the Kaiser Chiefs but to they’re better than that. Think of an amalgamation of The Killers and The Vaccines . The scene is so overcrowded that it’s impossible to know wether they’ll make a big splash, but they’ve released some great songs to date. [...]

Common is the sort of rapper who’s always been around and has aged excellently over the years. I’ve always been a long-term fan of his and look forward to his upcoming ninth album The Dreamer, The Believer which drops December 20th. He radiates positivity and this uplifting song featuring John Legend is no different. It’s produced by his fellow Chicago native No-iD and features a smooth gospel piano beat that is reminiscent of Kanye’s work. Common - The Believer feat. John Legend

The BBC recently released the Sound of 2012 longlist which features some of the freshest upcoming musical talent. So if you feel like getting ahead of the curve, get familiar with the fifteen artists up for nomination. In January they’ll announce the winner and even though they usually get it wrong (see: Jessie J), it’s a great way to discover some new music.

Lana Del Rey: Born to Die

Tanlines: Real Life Exquisite tropicalia from some tasteful Brooklynites [ mp3 ]

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Archie Marshall is the seventeen year old musician behind the King Krule moniker. He is a ginger kid with baby face and looks like your ordinarily awkward teenager. However, when he opens his mouth, he reveals a deep voice and artistic sensibility wise beyond his years. The face certainly doesn’t match the voice. He has released a self-titled EP on  True Panther  records which features five delicated crafted tracks. It’s fairly unclassifiable music that isn’t held back by genre boundaries. The standout song The Noose Of Jah City  ( video ) tells the story of bummed out young man [...]

For those who have yet to be acquainted, James Vincent McMorrow is an Irishman with a pretty incredible voice. If Bon Iver and Amos Lee were to somehow make sweet man-love, this is what their child would sound like. It’s folk music with a definite hint of soul. Even though it’s sparse, the simplicity allows his voice to take centre stage. Having released his debut, Early In The Morning , well over a year ago in Ireland he’s only starting to get the kudos his music so rightfully deserves. My favourite cut so far is the delicate  [...]

Fresh out outta Bregan, Norway come a newly formed twelve piece called Young Dreams ( SoundCloud ). Why they need so many band mates is beside the point, what matters is the delightful indie-pop/rock they magically churn out. To celebrate signing to Modular Records, they have released their eponymous single free of charge. The friendly Nordics plan on releasing a full album in the new year which can only be good news considering how awesome the single below is: Young Dreams - Young Dreams

Star Slinger - Elizabeth Fraser (Cocteau Twins Mix) Heavenly bliss courtesy of Fluo Kids