A music blog trying to make great music (both new & old) known to a larger audience, by posting daily tracks and news. All this from the perspective of a Dutch biology student. Enjoy.
Today I have been listening to the Rangeline record by a newcomer, for me at least: Joel Levi. This americana singer-songwriter has just released this record, his first and is impressing in the states. Although he sometimes tends to the poppy-side, this is fine on this record since he shows versatility. He is helped by a lovely alternative country band, together they sound very harmonic. This is definitely for fans of John Mayer, Dawes, Ryan Adams and perhaps even Fleet Foxes. Very Harmonic band. The year is young, but this record stands out for me.
Got this in my mailbox today and I like it. Very subtle song by Heyward Howkins, with a honey-sweet voice. Somehow it has some sort of classic soul feeling to it. The sun is out on this sunday morning and this is great music to spend it with.
D.D Dumbo is an artist so original (he's playing solo, yes solo) that it is hard to compare him to anything else. I'm just getting an Alt-J feel, that's all I can say, which is a positive thing for sure.
He is featured on London Calling within a few weeks.
Speaking of that festival, very, very onfortunate that Phantogram and John Wizards had to be cancelled, luckily the line-up turned up pretty good anyway as you can clearly hear in the updated playlist: London Calling Autumn 2014
11. Torre Florim & Roos Rebergen - De Tweede Speeldoos, Independently released, April, Experimental, Folk, Singer/songwriter
This album is the sequel album (or in this case only sold in a classic playbox version that plays one of the 6 songs as an authentic playbox) to one of the biggest experiments of Dutch Indie music. Touching songs based on texts from a acting class of mentally disabled people. Only 6 tracks long but very impressive, not an album I will easily forget. Combining the bands of Ms. Rebergen and De Staat to play the songs live, made sure that it was one hell of a show.
Funny how these lyrics are actually among the best lyrics I have heard all year, they contain the right emotion and intensity, and it was never so clear what the writer or I-person actually really meant to say. That is truly beautiful and unique.
I do hope this will not turn out to be their final collaboration.
Stephen Wilkinson aka Bibio is here to take us to dreamland once again. He is one of the few artists that can blend different styles together, without you realising that someone is trying to do so. Making electronic music more human again, making folk-music more intense, and touching the best aspects of triphop as well. His unbelievable skilll is out on LP again, titled Silver Wilkinson. Bibio albums have been doing something to my head on a regular basis over the last few years, but it felt like he was still looking to find his true identity. To say that he has found it, is pushing it, but he is getting close. According to interviews he has changed his music a bit on purpose. While his albums Mind Bokeh, and a personal favourite Ambivalence Avenue were more purely electronic, this album sounds more harmonic, more natural in a sense. You can just tell more live instrumentals were included, and a fun fact, for a few songs Stephen included recording material outside in his garden to symbolise the new sound.
Let's start of with lead single "A Tout a L'heure":
To show he hasn't forgotten his roots, we get a beautiful third track on the album called Wulf:
And while most people would say there is not much going on here, which I can imagine, the vibe coming from this song is so intense, and shows his talent in electronica music. But this album is more of him sitting down with his guitar and playing some of the best folky songs I have heard all year. Like in Raincoat:
I hope you are now in love with this album as much as I am. Maybe its just me, but while more and more singer/songwriters, that are hitting the festivals and the charts, are sounding more and more alike, the stand-outs like Bibio are the acts that really do it for me. I hope I can convince you too. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.
I give this album a staggering 4.5/5 stars.
By the way, the blog's youtube channel is updated with some Bibio tracks among them. Check it out, and thanks for the views lately.
this is definitely one of the most buzz-making videos of the last few weeks. Strangely though, it seems to be completely out of sync with the type of music Beach House typically makes. And honestly it took me a few times before I realised what the hell was going on anyway. Some strange half-time show by the coach of a semi-futuristic Football team with cheerleaders and martial artists. That didn't make sense right?, especially considering it is a video for a Beach House song...
And I recognize the main actor (the singer), but I don't know from where.
Ah well great vid! I wish every video was this intriguing.
One artist i'm definitely excited about is Mac DeMarco. This canadian, which stands out from the crowd of regular singer-songwriters, with his own style. A style which might cause some frowning. His loose, but funky guitar work together with his laid-back voice, makes for some sweet songs. Songs by a funnyman (just 22 years old), that somehow also have a retro feel about them. The songs make me think about Beck, Mikal Cronin and Atlas Sound even, but then in a blend of some sort. Sometimes dark, sometimes happy. Here's a taste.
By the way, he only recently adopted the artist name of Mac DeMarco, beforehand he released music under the alias of Makeout Video, so check that out as well.
Recent Comments