Daughter is essentially singer-songwriter Elena Tonra, although she seems to have added two permanent members in order to flesh out the group. The London-based group has just been signed to the amazing independent label 4AD (the current label of St. Vincent, and the UK label for Bon Iver) as of three weeks ago. This song is apparently from “The Wild Youth EP,” which I’ve only been able to find on iTunes, unfortunately. They’ve recently released what they consider their debut EP, entitled “His Young Heart,” which is available on their Bandcamp (without this track on it, unfortunately). Get it here: http://ohdaughter.bandcamp.com/
“Youth” is a really breathtaking track, and I can only hope it finds its way onto their debut full-length, whenever it comes out. It begins with an arpeggiated Mumford and Sons-esque guitar line, but unlike Mumford, the vocals never really elevate beyond the delicacy of the first few bars, thankfully. I was going to post a live version of this song because I thought it had a bit more energy, but I eventually decided on this studio version as I felt the vocals came through more prominently.
The Front Bottoms (pretty rough name, I know) are an indie band from New Jersey whose music could probably be best described as acoustic-based punk. This song is called “Flashlight” and it’s from their selft-titled 2011 album, which is their first album distributed by a record label (Bar/None Records). They also self-released two albums in 2008 and 2009. Frontman Brian Sella’s voice sounds a bit like a hybrid between Mike Kinsella (of Owen/American Football), Scott Hutchison (of Frightened Rabbit), and Charlie Fink (of Noah and the Whale), and the band’s music puts a lot of emphasis on the lyrical content of the songs.
Polica (often stylized as POLIÇA) is an electronica/indie group out of Minneapolis. Their main member is singer Channy Leaneagh, who uses heavy vocal processing both live and in the studio. There is a really cool, chill vibe to a lot of their music, but they still have an element of traditional rock/funk to their sound through the use of actual acoustic drums and great electric bass riffs. The auto-tune effect on Leaneagh’s vocals fits in really well against the electronic-sounding backdrop, but the melodies and the sweet, sultry voice still shine through.
This song features some guest vocals from Bon Iver’s Mikey Noyce, and is available on their debut album, entitled Give You the Ghost.
Lianne La Havas is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter from London. At the age of 22, “Lost and Found” is her first official single and will be available to download April 30th. Her soulful vocals are amazing on this track, and I look forward to hearing more cuts from her debut album, Is Your Love Big Enough, which is scheduled for a July 9th release in the UK. She takes a fairly minimalistic approach to this song, building off a piano riff and adding a very simplistic and repetitive drum pattern with some jazzy guitar strumming in the background. It is obvious the focus is on her smoldering vocals and the introspection of her lyrics. However, while there is definitely the feeling that La Havas is baring her soul in this song, the lyrics can be somewhat cliched at times. Her youth and lack of songwriting experience are almost definitely the causes, so expect to see improved lyrics in subsequent releases.
In the meantime, we are just lucky to enjoy her gorgeous vocals on this song until the full album is released.
I first heard this song late last year, and even then, I couldn’t believe I had never heard it before. Francis and the Lights is the stage name of (according to Wikipedia) Francis Farewell Starlite (something tells me that’s not his real name either, though).
This song is called “Darling, It’s Alright” and it’s from his latest EP, It’ll Be Better. It sounds like it’s straight out of the 80s, which, frankly, is awesome. This video is, “A single-take live performance, edited with light.” Despite the dancing in the video and the undeniable groove of the drums and synths, this song actually has some pretty emotionally-charged lyrics.
I can’t believe this song came out in 2010 and it took me so long to notice, so I’m posting it on here to spread the word as much as I can. Check this song out. It is ridiculously good. I promise.
TL; DR: Two songs are posted at the bottom of this review.
Good Old War is an indie-folk band from Philadelphia which rose from the ashes of the now-defunct indie/prog band Days Away. Come Back as Rain is their third album and picks up right where the last two left off. Their brand of lushly harmony-laden 1960s-inspired indie folk hasn’t changed a bit, which, quite honestly, is a very good thing. However, this isn’t a facsimile of their past two records. There are certainly enough instances of musical deviation on this album to make it unique, while still rooting itself firmly in the blueprint that makes Good Old War’s songwriting such a breath of fresh air.
In general, the first half of the album is a bit stronger than the second half. The songs are more engrossing and slightly more imaginative. Come Back as Rain opens with “Over and Over,” an upbeat folk song with great lyrics and three-part harmonies throughout. The second song, “Calling Me Names,” is the album’s first single. Masquerading as a sunny pop song through its use of bright fingerpicking and backing vocals, it is actually an accusation made in self-defense against a friend/lover/critic. These layers are typical of Good Old War albums, keeping the audience intrigued by creating a sense that there is always something discoverable about the music, even with multiple listens.
In one of the album’s more vulnerable (and rewarding) moments, the third track, “Amazing Eyes,” drops any kind of pretense and shows itself right off the bat for what it is: a love song clearly wrought from deep affection. The performances are the highlights of this song, and help the lyrics survive some not-so-strong moments (“You’re a little bit broken, and I’m a little bit broken”). Keith Goodwin (lead voice) really stretches his vocal range while the solo acoustic guitar and sparse piano create the perfect backdrop for the lyrics. The ridiculously good folk-rocker, “Can’t Go Home,” and the (sort of) ballad, “Not Quite Happiness” follow “Amazing Eyes,” and end the first half of the album.
“Touch the Clouds (Taste the Ground)” begins the latter half of the album with the record’s weakest overall lyrical effort and is really not a very interesting song. Sounding almost like a Guster-esque alternative song, it has a pleasant vocal melody in the chorus, but suffers from the fact that it seems to ramble on without really going anywhere, both lyrically and musically. Fortunately, the band bounces back with “It Hurts Every Time” (featuring an awesome guitar solo near the end), and album stand-out “After the Party,” a high-tempo burner with fantastic lyrics. The song “Loud Love” features amazing vocal performances which salvage a relatively uninspired musical endeavor. The closer, “Present for the End of the World,” ends the album on a contemplative yet optimistic note and is one the group’s stronger overall performances, bringing together all the most effective aspects of their music. This is a very good album from an incredibly talented group of musicians who certainly deserve much more recognition than they receive.
This is brand new music from two absolutely amazing electronic musicians: Burial and Four Tet, both from the UK. Both artists create incredible electronic soundscapes, and this collaboration is no exception. They got together in 2011 for a two-song EP, and it’s great to see they’re continuing their musical relationship into 2012. Check out this ridiculously good tune from these two talented musicians. Enjoy!!
