I know I already made a post about the Fleet Foxes new album coming out and how I thought it would be quite good. I have had a change of heart. After listening to more and more tracks and the same ones over - it is absolute rubbish and I don’t know why people consider their sound anything other than generic. Helplessness Blues has shown me the disappointing truth of the Fleet Foxes and the album has tainted their earlier stuff also with Your Protector and White Winter Hymnal being the only songs I still look at with any respect.

Now I understand that I seem hypocritical, dissing people’s taste in music which I said I wouldn’t. But truth be told I consider this an assault on the generic culture of acceptance and people liking bands because everyone else does and they’re “trendy, and alternative.” By saying the Fleet Foxes are rubbish I more hope to enlighten others to distinguish themselves rather than make people feel bad.

If you want a newish album that I rate very highly, looks no further than Adele’s 21 - works can not describe the awesomeness of her music. BUT her music can, hence the link.

Chur.
Sweep 

With all this Sufjan craze going on (which I honestly don’t understand) it seem people have forgotten about one of my favourite singer song writers - Damien Rice. 

His music is simple and cunning, full of real emotion and has a nice sort of melodious melancholy to it, well his album O does. O is a phenominal album with each song being on par or better than the best of songs on most albums which I would still consider ‘good.’ 

Even on the album 9 Rice has a nice pattern of build and build then an emotional peak with a steady decline, leaving the listener satisfied - none of those emotional builds without a climax as seen in the likes of Kashmir by Led Zeplin which is analogous to the build up to a sneeze and then nothing! But, I digress.

The difference between the two albums is that O is a positive sort of melancholy where you feel content and like things although bad are coming right, 9 makes you want to hate on lots of people, which is fun - it is full of anger and distress.

anyways - enjoy. 

P.s. He is Irish which makes him THAT much cooler.

Sweep 

Elephant (off the album 9)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9T4MbKnEgc

Eskimo (off the album O)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFySnZl2O8o

And a song most people should know - The Blower’s Daughter (also O)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YXVMCHG-Nk 

With all the hype about The Naked and Famous it seems that the international market has missed out on Avalanche City - another band that is representing some of the finer things to come out of New Zealand. The song Love Love Love has been in television ads and captured the ears of all who listened, the band decided to release their EP for free online but after such popularity they decided to get some well deserved money from their creation.

The EP is available or you can buy the EP Snow + Album Our New Life Above the Ground in a double disc set, and well we all know double disc sounds way cool.

This song featured above is off the album and has a cute little folky love song sound with easy listening lyrics and a mean as videoclip to go with it. Whether you love that corny stuff or it makes you spew the weird thing is you are still going to love the song even if only for its melodious and catchy merit.

The Band’s bandcamp is here and you can listen to all their songs before committing to a purchase:
http://avalanchecity.bandcamp.com/album/our-new-life-above-the-groundhttp://avalanchecity.bandcamp.com/album/snow

- Sweep

Battles are a New York band that has been around since 2002. The band got a big break however with the single Atlas being featured in the second season of Skins’ soundtrack which exposed them to the wider market. You either love or hate this band due to their unique noise which infects the mind and either gives a sense of calm or is irritating beyond belief. Personally I think this group is amazing with every track on their debut full length mirrors being fantastic. 

If you like the crystal castles you will most likely enjoy battles just as much. 

‘Hey this is Kim and I’m Matt and we’re Matt and Kim and we’re from Brooklyn New York, New York’ is how this amazing duo introduced themselves at one of their live performances in early 2011. The show was amazing which was no surprise considering how great this band is with their 3 albums all being fantastic. Their music is a electro pop style but some how reminiscent of indie rock at the same time and it works well.

With Matt singing and playing keyboard and Kim being an outstanding drummer and for those who have seen the band live she manages to drum insanely well with a constant smile and positive demeanor which is great.

The song Daylight seems to be everyone’s clear favourite, probably because of the catchy beat and nice lyrics but by no means would I say it is THAT much better than everything else on their albums. 

Yea Yeah:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Yg-CgIwaHs&feature=related

Lessons Learned:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJkymylTNU4

Cameras: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mN3Frq1xYI 

Actually both Matt and Kim seemed really nice and cool with Matt jumping into the crowd after the gig and having conversations with the randoms about. Good times.

- Sweep 

Voxhaul Broadcast are a band from California that decided to go against the grain of Indie Rock’s formulated nature and record, mix and master their debut album Rotten Apples in one day - as you do. The result however was amazing.

The album is full of tracks that in their own right could be singles, and with a more raw and unique sound than most indie music they seem to be able to branch and appeal to a wider audience.

The band have recorded two Daytrotter Sessions which are both freely downloadable: 
http://www.daytrotter.com/dt/voxhaul-broadcast-concert/20040449-3737485.html
http://www.daytrotter.com/dt/voxhaul-broadcast-concert/20030570-3737485.html

The band also have a new EP Fact, Fiction and Turquoise which is yet to be released - but should be expected this year, the songs of which (and from their album) are available for listening on their website:
http://www.voxhaulbroadcast.com/music/

- Sweep 

Oh The Lonely Island, they never cease to amaze. Their latest track I Just Had Sex once again delivers a comedic lyrical song that is somehow just as, if not as musical as a lot of music we are exposed to these days. The song, like many of their other singles features a more prominent artist in the music industry - this time being Akon - and as per usual the song could be contributed to that artist in how it sounds.

I decided to write about this song mainly because I think it is great and fun, which a lot of the time is all we want to hear after a long day and also it has an amazing video clip.

The Lonely Island are releasing a new album this year featuring such tracks and is due for release about mid year.

Other songs from The Lonely Island (that you really should know anyway)

Jizz In My Pants:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLnWf1sQkjY

I’m On a Boat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8F3UE9qFsg

- Sweep 

With everyone cottoning on to the fact that the Northern Irish Two Door Cinema are in fact awesome, I decided I should right a little something and shine a light to those who are obviously in a cave. So the Trio have been active since 2007 yet their debut album Tourist History was released in early 2010 with amazing tracks such as I Can Talk, Something Good Can Work and Undercover Martyn - the first two however are re-releases of 2009 singles. Yet none the less the band came to fame and managed to make it onto the Triple J Hottest 100 of 2010 (albeit in my opinion I Can Talk should have rated much better.)

Anyways give it a listen and here is some stuff off the EP Four Words to Stand On and off the current album.

Cigarettes In the Theater:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=It5lqXOqC6U

New Houses:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=038ai-LOdAo

Undercover Martyn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLK4oaXUuLg

Happy Listening
- Sweep 

Jame Blake is a talented musician from London with what I would say is a relatively unique sounds in this day and period of music. His genre has been described as; ‘post dub step’, electronic and even ambiance - but to get any idea of what that is or what this young man’s music is you really need to listen to his tracks.

The song Limit To Your Love comes from his self titled debut album - James Blake the song is just lovely to listen to and I look forward to purchasing it, with the UK release date being the 7th of February 2011. His voice has the kind of after effect of Antony and the Johnsons yet at the same time is quite different and rather than trying to explain how I would describe it you may as well just press the big play button.

Before the release of the album, Blake has released several EPs; Air and Lack Thereof, The Bells Sketch, CMYK and Klavierwerke. All as amazing as each other.


Some great tracks not off the album:

Air and Lack Thereof:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vEXpbCMxc0
I’ll Stay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrIT532vMlM&feature=related 
Buzzard and Kestrel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjc-KbCsIvQ 

Happy Listening
- Sweep