Just over two years ago I was asked, for the one and only time, to contribute to the prestigious BBC Sound Of poll. This annual poll has become enough of an milestone to ensure that the main business of plenty labels and PRs for the past few months is to ...
It's funny to see Dan Michaelson still referred to as 'former Absentee singer', especially now that the release of his third album sees his solo output surpass his former band's by 50%. But let's not dwell on the past. The good news is that Dan's new record Sudden Fiction is ...
You may not noticed, but I've been away for a while. I'm not the only one though. The Early Years were one of my favourite bands a few years back, but after seeing them at a few memorable gigs (notably their support slot at this amazing Electrelane Scala show), they ...
Echo Lake - Alisa from ///NO PAIN IN POP\\\ on Vimeo. This afternoon I've been listening to Echo Lake, mainly because they're the support band at tonight's Early Years gig at CAMP Basement. On the evidence of the songs on their Soundcloud, they're pretty much the perfect support band for The ...
You know the story these days; a new album announcement accompanied by a free taster song. It works nicely for me, but often these things come along like buses. So over the past day there's been news of three potential belters coming out in the next few months. First up, Field ...
Last week, in a BBC 6 Music interview with King Creosote and Jon Hopkins about their Mercury-nominated album Diamond Mine, Kenny Anderson mentioned his songbook. Now there's a thought. I'm trying to imagine a songbook big enough to hold all the songs written by one of the most prolific songwriters ...
A Winged Victory For The Sullen is the new project combining the talents of Stars Of The Lid founder Adam Wiltzie and LA-based composer Dustin O'Halloran. It seems to bring together what they're both best at, and form something greater than the sum of their parts. So there's definite traces ...
On his debut release, there was a distinct folk element to his retro soul music, but on his new EP Michael Kiwanuka brings that right to the front, and in doing so stakes his claim to be the young British Terry Callier. Which is really saying something. The I'm Getting ...
When I was unexpectedly asked to contribute to the BBC's Sound of 2010 poll, I was a little taken aback and with a short deadline to get tips back to the man at the Beeb, I stuck to the artists I was particularly obsessed with that week. One of these ...
Until now, you'd have been excused for thinking that there were two Beiruts – one the creator of lush, brass-fuelled Balkan or Mexican sway-alongs (see the first two and a half albums) and the other the purveyor of obtuse bedroom electronics (Realpeople Holland and the Rough Trade digital EP). But ...
The arrival this week of a new Low video for 'Especially Me' allows me a moment to talk about C'mon, an album that I've failed to mention here yet, despite it being one of my favourites of the year so far. Low are masters of shifting things enough with each ...
In the couple of months since I last blogged Oh Minnows, Chris Steel-Nicholson has released his debut album For Shadows. It's an impressive calling card, full of the synth-led psych-pop I was expecting, but also a few suprises, such as noisy shoegazy guitar, and an inclination to veer from the ...
Us music bloggers usually take ourselves too seriously, and the rush to be there first is a tiresome tyranny we impose on ourselves. I know all this, and even though I always tell people that for me, blogging is a hobby, nothing more, I still find myself succumbing to this ...
Yeah, we have been waiting for a while for this, and yeah, we're excited that it's now here. But it's been up since yesterday, the '0 views' suggests that no-body has watched it all the way through yet. That's not going to last long though. For me, part-way through, it's ...
I know there's always been a strong country rock element to Blitzen Trapper's music, but on this new tune, they take that to the next level. And sitting right where I am today, in what I've renamed Country Friday, it's suiting me very well indeed. mp3: Blitzen Trapper - Love The ...
So I had been planning my return to blogging after my holiday on Monday when London went mad. For most of the past couple of days, my latest witterings about my musical likes have seemed irrelevant. And yesterday's music news has only been about one thing - the fire at ...
So there I was watching / listening to the Murdochs at the phone hacking enquiry. It was running well behind time, it was sagging a lot and I was feeling bored. So it was a welcome relief to have an email pop into my inbox about the new M83 single. ...
These fresh-faced kids may look like they're fresh out of high school, but they've also created one of the sparkliest pop tunes of the year. Now they've got a suitably sparkly video to go with it. Londoners - Givers hit our town next week for their first UK shows. Check them ...
You've got to love Civil Civic. Not just because they write their own ace press releases. Not because their third member is a drum machine. And not just because they are providing us with a steady stream of scuzzy, noisy electronic rock goodness from their Dalston base. That's not all. ...
Photo: annabelstaff Band reunions have to follow certain rules if they're going to be big news. First they need to wait for the optimum time, which judging by recent successful comebacks from the likes of Pavement and the Pixies is at least 10 years. Second, there has to be some catchy ...
The Daily Growl
The Shins: “September” (b-side of “Simple Song” 7”)
St. Vincent - 'Cheerleader'
Jay-Z & Kanye West - Ni**as In Paris (Explicit)
OK Go - Needing/Getting - Official Video
Ladyhawke - Black White & Blue
Watch: Trailer for Dave Grohl’s documentary, Sound City
Childish Gambino - "Heartbeat" (Official Music Video)
First Aid Kit – Emmylou
Hardwell Bootleg Pack 2012
James Blake – Live Album
