The Middle East

Bree Tranter from the band, The Middle East. They played the Sugar Club, Leeson St, Dublin on Saturday, June 26.

Here's the gorgeous video for their song 'Blood', one of my favourite tracks of the last few years.

Local Natives, Gorilla Manor

This is a really fine, euphoric debut album, an amalgam of Ra Ra Riot, Fleet Foxes and Arcade Fire with great harmonies, melodies and percussion. Late arrival for those albums of the year lists.

Kelcey Ayers of Local Natives playing at the Academy, Dublin in September 09

Dirty Projectors

Excellent set last night in Whelans from the Dirty Projectors, makers of Bitte Orca, one of the most original, fascinating and downright brilliant albums of this year. Great drummer! Didn't manage to get a decent photo of him or indeed most of the band so you'll have to make do with these two of Angel and Dave. The Dave one's got a touch of the Ian Curtis' about it and the Angel one is well, just look at her, and she sounds good too. Here she is singing the very fab Two Doves from Bitte Orca which is something of a tribute to Nico's classic 'These Days' - Two Doves has amazing treated strings on the album, sadly not present in the live version. You tube audio clip below of the song.

Angel Deradoorian, Dirty Projectors

Jogging Playlist Vol 3

Island, IS, Volcano Choir, Unmap

Anonanimal, Andrew Bird, Noble Beast


Ronnie's Theme, Colm Mac Con Iomaire, The Hare's Corner
Beijing, Patrick Watson, Wooden Arms
Weird Fishes, Radiohead, In Rainbows
Crystalised The XX, XX
Dull Life, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, It's Blitz!
Nothing Ever Happened, Deerhunter, Microcastle
Golden Age, TV on the Radio, Dear Science
Five Fingers, Aesop Rock, None Shall Pass
Little Girl (ft Julian Casablancas), Danger Mouse and Sparklehouse, Dark Night of the Soul
If I Ever Feel Better, Phoenix, United
Crying Lightning, Arctic Monkeys, Humbug
Stillness is the Move, Dirty Projectors, Bitte Orca
Naked Eye, Luscious Jackson, Fever In, Fever Out
Iceblink Luck, Cocteau Twins, Stars and Topsoil
Hearts on Fire, Cut Copy
Life in Marvellous Times, Mos Def, The Ecstatic

Jogging Playlist Vol 2

1. Jump in the pool, Friendly Fires, Friendly Fires (2009)
2. I heard wonders, David Holmes, The Holy Pictures (2008)
3. Untrust Us, Crystal Castles, Crystal Castles (2008)
4. The Rat, The Walkmen, Bows & Arrows (2004)
5. Sweet disposition, The Temper Trap, Conditions (2009)
6. Electric feel, MGMT, Oracular Spectacular, (2007)
7. Liztomania, Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009)
8. Moth's wings, Passion Pitt, Manners (2009)
9. Boulevard del l'Independence, Toumani Diabate, Boulevard del l'Independence, (2006)
10. Alone like that, David Kitt, The Nightsaver, (2009)
11. Royal Gregory, Holy Fuck, LP, (2007)
12. Love is you, Ofo the black company, Last King of Scotland soundtrack (2006)
13. Swimming, Florence & the Machine, Lungs, (2009)
14. T.I.A., K'naan, Troubador, (2009)
15. Rock You, The Roots, Phrenology, (2009)
16. Spellbound, Rae Christian (featuring Veba), Northern Sulphuric Soul, (1998)
17. Love, J Dilla (featuring Pharoahe Monche), The Shining (2006)
18. Hercules, Neville Brothers, Tell it Like it is, (2000)
19. 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Rollings Stones, 12 x 5, (1964)
20. Eat, Regina Spektor, Far, (2009)

Electric Picnic 2009: the Verdict

A shame to see the company behind Electric Picnic, Pod Concerts is going into liquidation. 'Taxman could pull plug on Electric Picnic promoter' says the Irish Indo but they quote a press release from POD concerts saying the Electric Picnic is now owned by EP Republic Ltd, which is 61pc owned by UK promoter Festival Republic so Pod's financial troubles won't lead to the plug being pulled on the festival. Em, I hope!

Jim Carroll says there's 14 more acts being announced this Thursday but so far this year's EP lineup is the weakest in years. It's short one or two more major league acts but also short on what used to be its strong suit - hot new, brilliant but not very well known acts. Oxegen has continued the trend of sweeping up some of the best new artists that previously would have been more likely to play EP, last year Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer playing Oxegen were a good example of this, this year Passion Pit spring to mind.

For major league acts EP 07 had Bjork, Beastie Boys, LCD Soundsytem, 08 had MBV, Sigur Ros and Wilco but 09 has the Flaming Lips alone in that sphere.

Having said all that, i am still really looking forward to EP - there is still a lot of quality acts due to play over the September 4-6 weekend in Stradbally.

Really lookin forward to seeing the Flaming Lips live for the first time and Fleet Foxes are one of the best bands in the world so those two should be the highlights.

I saw Royksopp do a great festival set at Witnness many years ago and their new album is strong - Lykke Li guests on that and she's also playing, her Youth Novels album last year was brilliant.

Amadou and Mariam should make for great pop festival fare, saw them at the Olympia and Amadou is one of the best guitarists ever.

Plus MGMT should be good.

Bat for Lashes' second album is superb and a step forward from her debut so she could be one of the highlights.

Jape, Lisa Hannigan and Bell XI are bankers for good gigs.

Julie Feeney's new album Pages is one of the albums of the year and i read good reports of her recent Crawdaddy gig.

Liking what i've seen of Imelda May, even if she is rockabilly.

Should be entertaining to see if Fionn Regan still thinks he's been reincarnated as Bob Dylan circa 1966 and Blonde on Blonde.

Marina & the Diamonds - don't have a proper album out yet but the stuff from her EP sounds great - (think Kate Bush meets Lykke Li meets Fiona Apple).

There's some strong techno/electronic acts on the bill with Orbital, Moderat, The Field and Four Tet playing.

Other acts i'm lookin forward to catching

The Walkmen - a fine American band that sound a bit like the Strokes and the National having a baby.

Tunng - an excellent folktronica/electronic folk (?!) act

Bell Orchestre - an instrumental 'post-rock' band who do strings for Arcade Fire, they're a bit like a Canadian Jimmy Cake

Efterklang - are more 'post-rock' - like Sigur Ros meets Arcade Fire meets something more experimental

Villagers sound like a promising young Irish band.

Low Anthem - are a good American Alt country act

Other stuff worth checking out - Roots Manuva, A DJ set from LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy and Pat Mahoney, and on a nostalgia trip, 80s rockers - Echo and the Bunnymen, 80's pop Madness, 60s legend Brian Wilson, and Disco stars Chic.

Jogging Playlists, Part 1

As i slowly crank my lazy blogging ass back into gear, the first of a regular series, music to jog to, tried and tested, the rules are simple.

1. Nothing too melancholic and definitely not straight out morbid or depressing
2. Nothing too slow
3. But not too many fast songs or you'll burn out.

The Talib Kweli, Kings of Leon and Futureheads tracks make me run like the clappers but you get a breather in between. Anyhoo, tracks and links to vids on you tube/tracks on my space below

Talib Kweli Move Somethin





1.Your Ex-Lover Is Dead,Stars
2.Christopher and Anthony, Jape
3.Poison Cup, M. Ward
4.I Feel Just Like A Child, Devendra Banhart
5.Free Money, Patti Smith
6.California Waiting, Kings of Leon
7.Ghost Under Rocks, Ra Ra Riot
8.F.E.A.R., Ian Brown
9.Cassette, Oh No
10.Move Somethin', Talib Kweli
11.Hounds of Love, Futureheads
12.Crawl, Kings Of Leon
13.I Believe In You, Cat Power
14.Revolution Blues, Neil Young
15.Dancing Barefoot, Patti Smith
16.You Never Know (Domino Remix), Hieroglyphics
17.This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody), Talking Heads
18.Bizarre Love Triangle-94, New Order
19.Iceblink Luck, Cocteau Twins



20.Finer Feelings, Spoon

The return of Patrick Watson

The magnificent, criminally obscure, prodigously talented, bizarrely overlooked etc.... Patrick Watson is back with a new album Wooden Arms.

No Dublin gigs planned yet. Patrick, sort it out please, the last gig in the Sugar Club was incredible.

Some reviews of Wooden Arms and downloads, streams, here

http://www.herohill.com/2009/04/reviews-patrick-watson-wooden-arms.htm

http://www.wooden-arms.com/

http://sixeyes.blogspot.com/2009/04/patrick-watson-wooden-arms-mp3.html

http://www.gigwise.com/reviews/albums/50610/Patrick-Watson---Wooden-Arms


Drifters from Patrick Watson's Close to Paradise, (2006)

2008 Albums of the Year

Can't believe its that time of year again and the music mags have already put out their Album of the year lists. Anyhow here's mine.


1. Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago
2. Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes
3. Elbow, the Seldom Seen Kid
4. Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend
5. Yeasayer, All Hour Cymbals
6. Sigur Rós : Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
7. Joan as Policewoman, To Survive,
8. Cut Copy, In Ghost Colours
9. The Jimmy Cake, Spectre & Crown
10. Martha Wainwright, I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too

11. Portishead, Third
12. Laura Marling, Alas I Cannot Swim
13. Goldfrapp, Seventh Tree
14. Deerhunter, Microcastle
15. Jape, Ritual
16. Ra Ra Riot, The Rhumb Line
17. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Dig Lazarus! Dig!
18. Erykah Badu, New Amerykah, Pt 1: 4th World War
19. Lisa Hannigan, Sea Sew
20. Lykke Li, Youth Novels

21. Keane, Perfect Symmetry
22. The Verve, Forth
23. Kings of Leon, Only By the Night
24. Cat Power, Jukebox
25. Santogold, Santogold
26. The Dodos, Visiter
27. Coldplay, Viva La Vida
28. She & Him, Volume One
29. The Raconteurs, Consolers of the Lonely
30. Hercules and Love Affair, Hercules and Love Affair

31. Foals, Antidotes
32. The Killers, Day & Age
33. Peter Broderick, Home
34. Peter Broderick, Float
35. Gemma Hayes, The Hollow of the Morning
36. Crystal Castles, Crystal Castles
37. Vetiver, A Thing of the Past
38. Amadou and Miriam, Welcome to Mali
39. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, Cardinology
40. Chequerboard, Penny Black

41. The Roots, Rising Down,
42. My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges
43. R.E.M., Accelerate
44. Emmylou Harris, All I Intended to Be
45. The Breeders, Mountain Battles
46. Tapes’n’Tapes, Walk it Off
47. Ray Lamontagne, Gossip in the Forest
48. The Last Shadow Puppets, The Last Shadow Puppets
49. Beck, Modern Guilt
50. Oasis, Dig Out Your Soul

Fleet Foxes at Vicar Street

I had high expectations on the way to Vicar Street last Friday night. Fleet Foxes are one of the most outrageously talented bands to emerge in a long long time. Their eponymously titled debut album is an instant classic and the Sun Giant EP that preceded it is flawless too.

Its great to be able to say I thought they were even better live. I went with three friends and we all thought they were amazing - Ciara did think they needed a wash and some fattening up though.

The songs sound timeless and the harmonies are beautiful. There’s no potential here, its all in place, a fully realised act. They are the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young of our time, only better.


Some good photos from the gig.

And two videos of the singles from the album below.

Fleet Foxes - He Doesn't Know Why


Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal

Post Electric Picnic Musings

So, this was my second time at the Electric Picnic following on from 2007.

It was an absolutely incredible three days. Michael Franti said it was the coolest festival in Europe. I’ve only the execrable Oxegen to compare it with, but its hard to imagine a better festival.

I cannot get over the amount of rubbish being talked about the music line up being weak this year, I felt spoilt for choice.

The Music

Sigur Ros

I got up front at the main stage for this moving and magnificent performance, sheer perfection. One of the best sets I’ve ever had the privilege to hear.

The Dodos

In a criminally half empty tent, the Dodos gave a thrillingly exciting, percussion driven monster of a set. So, so good.

Elbow

Faultless stuff. Newborn, Station Approach and On A Day Like this were pure magic. I was almost crying tears of joy for this one. Almost!


My Bloody Valentine

Couldn’t believe my luck to actually get into the Electric Arena for this, had presumed there would be an oversubscription as for the Beastie Boys last year.

They were amazing, the whole bloody set. Visuals were cool. And hearing Soon live is just something I never thought I’d get to do. Seriously special. Reminded me they are indeed one of the greatest rock’n’roll bands ever. Now Kevin, give us that third album already.

Franz Ferdinand

Was very pleased and surprised at how easy it was to get up front at the main stage for the Franz, Wilco, the Roots, Michael Franti. Also surprised that Franz Ferdinand’s set had me jumping up and down with joy. I had kind of forgotten about them in the last couple of years.

Cut Copy

An absolute blast - these guys went down a storm in a packed tent, a killer set, don’t know why they aren’t huge here already. A guy beside me said, ‘these guys are amazing, never heard of them before, they sound like New Order meets Depeche Mode.’ He was right.


The other Irish acts

The Irish in general did themselves proud

Lisa Hannigan

Based on her set on the Crawdaddy stage, its hard not to see why Lisa Hannigan isn’t destined for megastardom. She was fantastic in an uncomfortably crowded tent. Can’t wait to buy the new album.

Jape

It was great to see some of my friends realising how great this guy is. The sound was very muddy for this but great energy. I Was the Man was a festival highlight no doubt.


Cathy Davey

First, that black dress, struth, has to be the visual highlight of the week. I heard she’s a nervous performer but she must have gotten over that, really assured performance. ‘Moving’ and ‘Sing for your Supper’ were two more highlights.


Gemma Hayes – quality set from Gemma Hayes too, haven’t seen her live in about 6 years. And she is still pretty much the most ridiculously attractive looking women on the planet.


Goldfrapp and Joan as Policewoman

Goldfrapp totally owned the main stage, gutted I missed ‘Utopia’ as I couldn’t drag myself away from Joan as Policewoman.

The Roots, The Breeders Kila, Michael Franti and George Clinton were a lot of fun too.


The Low Lights

John Lydon/Rotten – wins the Arsehole of the festival award hands down. I had to endure his sneering, homophobic rants while queuing for pie minister. The Sex Pistols should never have been booked for EP, they are a panto act, an irrelevant money chasing, cultural corpse.

The Chill Out Stage was plagued with sound problems which meant I missed sets by Vyvienne Long and Martina Topley Bird. The gobsmackingly talented Laura Marling had her set ruined by broken strings and ill health.

The Dance stages were too far away from everything else!

So many good bands, couldn’t see them all - gutted I missed Santogold, Tindersticks, Foals, Dobet Gnahore, Modeselktor, A-trak, Juana Molina, Tinariwen, Underworld and many more.



The Vibe

The vibe was fantastic, besides one idiot barging into me in the Heineken bar, I didn’t meet one other rude person all weekend. All the staff were really friendly and efficient. The food was fantastic, even more choice than last year and while I didn’t make much time for the non-music side of things it was great to see how much was there for people who wanted an alternative to music.

Plus the weather was freakishly good!

Enjoyed the Ticket EP updates, so fair play to all involved.

Autumn Winter Gigs 2008

Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Whelans, Tuesday Sep 7
Shearwater, Whelans, Friday Sep 19
Bon Iver, Tripod, Tuesday Oct 7
Spirtitualised, Vicar Street, Sunday Oct 19
Holy Fuck, The Academy, Monday Oct 20
Lambchop, Tripod, Saturday Nov 1
Mercury Rev, Vicar Street, Sunday, Nov 2
Okkervil River, The Academy, Friday, Nov 7
Goldfrapp, Tripod, Friday, Nov 7
Fleet Foxes, Vicar Street, Friday Nov 7
The Jimmy Cake. Vicar Street, Friday, 21 November

Best of 2008 to July

3 Five star bonafide truly great albums destined to be regarded as absolute classics by a lot of folk in the years to come

Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes
Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend
Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago

7 flirting with future classic status

Elbow, the Seldom Seen Kid
The Jimmy Cake, Spectre & Crown
Sigur Rós : Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
Goldfrapp, Seventh Tree
Portishead, Third
Jape, Ritual
Erykah Badu, New Amerykah, Pt 1: 4th World War


5 consistently excellent albums

Lykke Li, Youth Novels
Cut Copy, In Ghost Colours
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Dig Lazarus! Dig!
Laura Marling, Alas I Cannot Swim
Martha Wainwright, I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too


2 Quality albums

Cat Power, Jukebox
The Raconteurs, Consolers of the Lonely

7 intermittently excellent efforts

Santogold, Santogold
Hercules and Love Affair, Hercules and Love Affair
Crystal Castles, Crystal Castles
Beck, Modern Guilt
The Dodos, Visiter
Gemma Hayes, The Hollow of the Morning
My Morning Jacket, Evil Urges

7 good, solid but not amazing albums

Coldplay, Viva La Vida
R.E.M., Accelerate
Foals, Antidotes
The Breeders, Mountain Battles
Tapes’n’Tapes, Walk it Off
The Roots, Rising Down,
Vetiver, A Thing of the Past

Electric Picnic Line Up Final Verdict

An almost final verdict on the Electric Picnic line-up - can’t see them adding too many acts in the next month or so.

The line up features as has always been the case, less hugely well known successful artists than Oxegen but a lot of acts that have released brilliant albums over the last year or so including rock royalty Sigur Ros, Wilco, Elbow, the Breeders and Tindersticks.

Some of the best electronic artists out there in Modeselktor and Crystal Castles, and lets not forget Underworld. Great dance oriented acts in Cut Copy, Santogold and Hercules and Love Affair. Backed up by lesser known quality electronic/dance in Digitalism, the Presets, and Midnight Juggernauts.

Plus Goldfrapp whose new album is amazing. And the legendary My Bloody Valentine.

Some of the best DJ’s in the world with A-trak, Diplo, and David Holmes.

One of the best hip hop acts bar none in the Roots.

A strong selection of Irish talent with Jape, Gemma Hayes, Cathy Davey, Lisa Hannigan, and Adrian Crowley.

Some very fine acts in the singer songwriter folk/alt country range with the Dodos, Bright Eye’s Conor Oberst, Stephanie Dosen, Juana Molina, Louise Rhodes and Terry Callier.

Franz Ferdinand, Foals and Gomez filling out the supply of decent guitar bands.

Plus you’ve got the Balanescu Quartet, Tinariwen, and the Congoes so its not all indie rock/dance.

All in all there’s over 40 acts I’d like to see playing at the Electric Picnic.....*

Sigur Ros
My Bloody Valentine
Wilco
Goldfrapp
Elbow
The Breeders
The Dodos
Cut Copy
Laura Marling
Santogold
Gemma Hayes
Modeselektor
Franz Ferdinand
Hercules and Love Affair
Jape
Stephanie Dosen
The Roots
Underworld
Dan Deacon
Crystal Castles
Tindersticks
David Kitt
Balanescu Quartet
Juana Molina
Martina Topley Bird
Cathy Davey
Foals
Conor Oberst
Lisa Hannigan
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks
Tinariwen
Joan as Policewoman
James Yorkston
David Holmes
Terry Callier
Louise Rhodes
New Young Pony Club
A-Trak
The Congos
Diplo
Adrian Crowley
Midnight Juggernauts
Booka Shade
Pivot
The Presets
Digitalism
The Herbaliser
Nitin Sawhney
Gomez
CSS
Duffy
Kila
Rachel Unthank & The Winter Set
Josh Ritter
Autamata
Vivienne Long


*updated July 21

Fair enough it is too dear this year but I really can’t knock the line-up.

Oxegen

As Oxegen looms I’m wishing I had the stomach to take all those puking, mud throwing, food dropping teenagers that it attracts. And for the same strange, music nerd urge that motivates all these posts, I feel the urge to deconstruct the Oxegen and Electric Picnic line ups!

This year’s Oxegen line-up is definitely the best one I can remember.

MCD obviously have a huge amount of money and the Oxegen approach says ‘forget about the scummy environment and feel the line up.’ The line up excels in bringing together some of the best mainstream rock bands in the world - REM, the Verve, the Raconteurs, Kings of Leon, Band of Horses, the National, Interpol, Manic Street Preachers.

Two of the best new bands out there in the fantastic Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer and a few other next big/current big things with White Denim, Black Kids, MGMT. Plus Battles and Cat Power adding a bit of extra ‘alternative music scene’ quality.

Its got a decent representation of dancey stuff - Justice, Hot Chip, Aphex Twin and Chemical Brothers, Go Team!

Some of the best of Irish talent in there with Glen Hansard’s Swell Season and Bell XI

All in all you’ve got about 30 quality acts in there with...

Vampire Weekend
The National
My Morning Jacket
Kings of Leon
The Raconteurs
REM
Yeasayer
Band of Horses
Cat Power
Editors
Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
The Verve
Interpol
Bell XI
The Go! Team
White Denim
Black Kids
Aphex Twin
Hot Chip
Delays
Battles
Justice
The Zutons
Manic Street Preachers
The Charlatans
The Ting Tings
Richard Hawley
Chemical Brothers
Roisin Murphy
MGMT
Deus
Holy Fuck
Rage Against the Machine

BUT the Electric Picnic lineup is much, much better than pretty much everyone I’ve talked seems to think it is. More on that in he next post.

Future Days - Jape, Dan Deacon, Deerhunter.

Fair play to the Foggy Notions peops for an excellent night at Vicar St on Saturday. Was going to the gig thinking, 'darn, i really should not be missing Fleet Foxes' but Jape was great fun. The only thing i'd heard from him before last night was the ubiquitous 'Floating' but he puts on a great show aided by that hilarious comedy moustache - photos on Nialler 9's blog.

Downloaded Jape's new album Ritual from itunes this afternoon and its a breath of fresh air - brilliant - hard to categorise this guy - electrorock seems to be the term bandied about for him online - add pop to that and it just about works. Comparisons to Hot Chip and David Kitt are fair. There's a lot of humour and an unpretentous vibe but serious songwriting craft here too. Categories aside, there's lots of catchy tunes and Ritual has made me smile a good bit today. Oh and it feels like a Summer album so good timing.


Dan Deacon lived up to the hype i've heard about his live gigs - i didn't know they were like going back to pre-school with running around the circle type 'exercises' though. Definitely helps loosen people up a bit!

Deerhunter were excellent - hadn't heard any of their stuff before - they're like a mix of Animal Collective/Velvet Underground/Krautrock/Jesus and Mary Chain/BRMC/Sereena Maneesh.


White Williams and High Places did nothing for me at all but 3 out of 5 is pretty good and at €22, the gig was great value.

Electric Picnic More Acts Announced Tomorrow Maybe

According to Jim Carroll, King of irish gig leak news and folks on the EP forum, Electric Picnic's organisers will announce a bunch of acts tomorrow.

There's already a few crackin acts who've put the EP on their My Space page but haven't been announced by the festival organisers.

Elbow
Gemma Hayes
Modeselktor
Cut Copy
Crystal Castles

Fleet Foxes

Jaw droppingly, scarily brilliant debut album coming out from these Fleet Foxes guys next week. They're streaming the whole album on my space.

Big sixties influences - Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Love at times. And for newer stuff, If you like Midlake, My Morning Jacket, Band of Horses, Devendra Banhart, Animal Collective, Bon Iver - you'll love this. On first listen, this album sounds better than anything all of the above have produced thus far but maybe i'm being a bit rash in my judgement.

They play Whelan's in Dublin on June 14.

The Great White Hopes

So as we enter the second quarter of the year, of all the newly trumpeted artists, who’s lived up to the hype?

The one album from a new band that is as brilliant as the world and its wife’s music critics say it is, is Vampire Weekend. It's all been said - the songs might sound throwaway and trite at first, but they’re intricate and indispensable after a couple of listens. And they do sound like Paul Simon’s Graceland meets the Strokes or the Smiths. It's all true.

The other stand out for me is Laura Marling’s Alas I Cannot Swim. It is absolutely bizarre that a teenager has delivered an album as accomplished and mature as this. Marling has been underhyped in the blogosphere, partly because she hasn’t got her album released in the US yet, but she's got a fair bit of coverage in the British music press. My impression of the scattering of British reviews I’ve read is that people are seriously underrating her. 'Alas' is a classic grower album, and while the initial impression for most people hearing it for the first time may well be. ‘hey, there’s nothing as catchy as the opener, ‘Ghosts’ on this',sticking with it really pays off . She’s not a million miles away from Beth Orton or earlier Joni Mitchell if you’re looking for comparisions. There's a real depth there.

The American critics are getting worked up by this Bon Iver guy. In the rush to compare him to Iron & Wine and Bonnie Prince Billy, how come nobody’s mentioned John Martyn?! Fine album whoever he sounds like.

Hercules and Love Affair’s debut is also worth the hype. And Foals' Antidotes didn’t blow me away but it is good - essentially Bloc Party's first album meets a bit of Fela Kuti meets early U2 though I’m sure they hate the last comparison.

Goddamn, that's beautiful: 5 songs to stop you in your tracks.

Four tracks from this year that made me think, ‘goddamn, that’s beautiful, I want to play that again and again’. Sadly only the Laura Marling one has an ‘official’ video. It is fab though.

Restacks by Bon Iver

Jesus wept, how gorgeous is this song?! Good album too, though nothing else touches this.



Clowns by Goldfrapp
Its like Kate Bush or the Cocteau Twins at their best (with really silly lyrics).




Starlings by Elbow

Some of the finest lyrics I’ve ever heard and a startlingly original arrangement.




Go Slowly by Radiohead

Thom Yorke’s vocals on this - bloody hell!




Ghosts by Laura Marling

From her debut Alas, I Cannot Swim