Oh, how the days do fly by.... Here's a track that prompted me to post, however - and, more impressively, wrenched me temporarily from an obsessive exploration of PJ Harvey's back catalog - from spirited, soaring Brit post-rockers To Bury A Ghost . To [...]
It's odd how songs come to be lodged in one's cranium. One minute you're happily recalling a tune that resonated with you not a few listens back, the next it's two weeks later and somehow it has become the sound track to your life. Step forth, Led Zeppelin... "Got no time to for spreadin' roots, the time has come to be gone. And though our health we [...]
Many moons ago.... ...wait! Come back. This isn't a long, rambling old duffer's tale.... ...a band by the name of Mahumodo stalked the rolling hillsides of England's green and pleasant land. More accurately, they toured the toilet venues of said land, yet were worthy of renown nonetheless, given their [...]
It's an odd situation, planning for a catastrophic storm for days on end. Especially so when the prevailing weather is gorgeous and the only previous example of similar meteorological carnage in this region occurred back when old Adolf was up to no good. Nonetheless, we find ourselves cramming our fridges with bottled water, watching endless weather reports on television, and trying to figure out just how to keep the cat away from her favourite window perch....one [...]
Should you have the deep misfortune to spend any time at all in the vicinity of my social network ramblings - Facebook / Twitter / Google+ / LastFM ... social media slag that I am - you'll have noticed that I've recently been unable to contain my gushings about London mob The Vaccines . "What's so special?" , you chorus? Good question....not sure [...]
Travels have been very much the order of the month here recently, so it seems only fitting to return to normal programming with the further exploits of Fairweather Academy and their "Well Traveled Man". A musical (and artistic) journey that I first previewed earlier this summer, the story is now furthered significantly with journal entries and a [...]
Continuing some thoughts from the road, the second installment of last week's road tripping took in more of Vermont, then onto New Hampshire and eventually Maine. Things took an unexpected turn, as I tired of Spotify play lists for periods and resorted to *shock* - - *horror* - - FM radio.... [...]
Rather than extend the break in posts here ever longer during my road tripping in New England, I thought I'd pump out some music-related reflections and rambling inspired by the journey... Trapp Lodge: Stowe, Vermont Knowing, before we set off from upstate New York, that mountains [...]
Having blown up the indie spaces last year, Merrill Garbus - or her more resoundingly celebrated musical vehicle, tUnE yArDs - will be familiar to many of you already. Nonetheless, a quality free tune that nestles into those summer playlists rather well should be welcomed with open arms... ... and here we have just such a gem... [...]
Almost trance inducing, the search engine awkward BOBBY weave multi-layered sonic tapestries on their self titled debut. To introduce new listeners to their woozy world many tracks would suffice, so I've gone with this one.... MP3: BOBBY - Ginger (Water Birth) (via Insound ) [...]
A few months ago I wrote about new material from Michigan singer-songwriter Alejandra O'Leary , with the promise of more to come. Since then, spring has expired (and June, apparently) and in has swept this sweaty summer. All of which means it's time to catch up with the (currently Chicago-based) songstress, to find out what we can expect (and when) from her next outing, 'Broken Mirror Baby', [...]
6 months in. 50% of the year gone. What have been your musical highlights of 2011 thus far? Here are 6 slices of eargasm excellence that have fueled H-T-A through to [...]
Hello Ha Ha Tonka , haven't I seen you hanging around? Here we have one of those bands you feel as though you've heard but, in reality, have never come across a single note. For me, at least, but we all have a few of them. I've seen tour ads and possibly the odd feature, from whence an image of some kind of indie-pop identity sprang forth in my mind. [...]
Emerging with the exquisite timing of a Broadway veteran, Brooklyn purveyors of shining tropical pop Dinosaur Feathers returned to action with a new single and tour dates this week. Just as the heat wave hit NYC, so did this upbeat summer ditty... MP3: Dinosaur Feathers - Please, Please George WEBSITE | FACEBOOK Replete [...]
We're ploughing headlong into the summer release rush just now, meaning there are many splendid albums vying for your ear time. How to choose what makes it onto your iPod/phone/retro Walkmen knock off player...?? Streams. There are more and more sites committing themselves to pre-release album streams, meaning those of us that still dole out our hard-earned on recorded music can easily preview our purchases, without all that download/delete palaver. [...]
...looking for something to do"? Whether or not the minor obscurity of that New Pornographers lyric escapes you, the question is a valid one. At least it could be tomorrow night, when I would encourage you to check out friend of H-T-A, Lucas Kane Hall , as he appears with new material at New York's Bitter End venue, [...]
Last year, I had the great pleasure of becoming hastily acquainted with the work of Solomon's Hollow , whose 'Genre Studies' release was an exercise in the soothing beauty of stripped-down acoustic guitar. Also worthy of note was that both this release and its predecessor were made available entirely free by the good folks at Barn Owl Records . Well, after being busy behind the scenes for the first half of 2011, those same [...]
Last year, I had the great pleasure of becoming hastily acquainted with the work of Solomon's Hollow , whose 'Genre Studies' release was an exercise in the soothing beauty of stripped-down acoustic guitar. Also worthy of note was that both this release and its predecessor were made available entirely free by the good folks at Barn Owl Records . Well, after being busy behind the scenes for the first half of 2011, those same [...]
This has been long in the offing and far too delayed for a record of such decadent glory. All the same, the additional time allows me to confirm that 'Let England Shake' isn't simply an intriguing flash in the pan, but a bona fide contender for album of the year and, further down the line, 'classic' status. All of which comes as a surprise to me, as I've unforgivably afforded Polly Jean Harvey precious little attention up to this point. [...]
A full summary post of all the cool business my ears came across on the return home is in the works for this weekend ( SO many tunes to fit into one post), so let's just focus on the brand spanking new material from returning heroes (to me, at least) earthtone9 . Entitled 'The Tide of Ambition' , it's a suitably pulsing, vicious track interspersed with the melodic, semi-soothing [...]
Heavier ~ Than ~ Air
No Church In The Wild
CHROMATICS "THESE STREETS WILL NEVER LOOK THE SAME"
Nas - Daughters
The Rains of Castamere by The National
DIIV "How Long Have You Known?" (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
Avicii – Two Million
Video: M83 – “Reunion”
Check Out: Los Campesinos! – “Tiptoe Through the True Bits”
