All We Grow by S. Carey

S. Carey or also known as Sean Carey, one of the members from the band Bon Iver. All We Grow is the brain child of S. Carey first attempt of his music vision. All We Grow may not be jaw dropping but it definitely is beautiful. It is a melancholy record, powered by the piano and Carey’s haunting vocals.

The whole album is pretty much soaked with instrumental occasionally with Carey’s whispering vocal. Comparing with Justin Vernon the lead for Bon Iver, Carey’s vocal is ‘lighter’. It does carry a certain degree of mournful notes but it does not sound like Vernon voice which is very sad and heavy. Carey’s voice is soothing and light for the heart. His music is made for the scene after the heavy downpour with water droplets falling from the tips of the leaves. It is the calmness after the storm.

“Mothers” is a melancholy track and one can’t help to notice a hint of Bon Iver influence on this track. Nevertheless, the rich vocals in this song is pretty impressive as it create such a harmonious track.  “We Fell” and “In the Dirt” are both tracks that heavily embraced the beauty of piano with the whispering of Carey’s vocal.

All We Grow by S. Carey

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Philharmonics by Agnes Obel

Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel is a Danish singer, songwriter and musician. Agnes began playing piano as a child, thus discovering songwriting. In her late teens she founded the Copenhagen based band, Sohio, together with the Danish musician and producer Elton Theander. The two worked together for several years. Agnes is known for her “do-it-yourself” attitude to music making. She writes, plays, sings, record and produce her material on her own. Anges Obel’s debut single “Just So” was written and recorded in her bedroom. Her debut album ‘Philharmonics’ was released last month. (source last.fm)

Philharmonics is a delicate, slow paced and tranquil  album that create a soothing listening experience; capturing the souls of the listeners. Captivated by her mellow and subtle voice with amazing piano tunes that lead the entire album. Her music is a bit cinematic and occasionally with mournful lyrics. Yet, fret not, it is not depressing at all. In fact, it is strangely beautiful. I guess “pensive” is the word to describe this album.

Philharmonics by Agnes Obel

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Some Kind Of Trouble by James Blunt

After the success of You’re Beautiful in Back to Bedlam, Blunt has become a household name and a singer that almost hunger for your tears as most of this songs were quite depressives and emotional. So, he came back for more in 2007, with All the lost soul, an album that was quite a disappointment because it was nothing near his debut album. It seems more likely that  he lost his voice than his soul. Now, he is back again hoping to give us the confident in his music by giving us Some Kind Of Trouble.

Launched in 8th of November, Some Kind Of Trouble is without doubt way better than his sophomore album. It seems like he finally found his lost soul at last. This time the music is more focus and in a single direction. The album is peppier and this clearly can be heard in the album lead single, “Stay the Night” quite a catchy pop song that definitely suits the taste of the mainstream. A numbers tracks in the album like Dangerous, Best Laid Plan, So Far Gone, Superstar and Calling Out Your Name are quite catchy and for sure would proved to be a great listening experience. For those who prefer to have the old James Blunt that sang those songs in Back to Bedlam, don’t worries, “If Time Is All I Have” should just do the trick. It is everything you need in order to cry your lung out.

Some Kind Of Trouble by James Blunt

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Immersion by Pendulum

 

Pendulum is an Australian electronic rock/drum & bass band founded in 2002 in Perth by Rob Swire, Gareth McGrillen and Paul Harding. Pendulum’s sound is typically heavy beats accompanied by low, buzzing bass lines, overlaid with synthesized leads. Immersion is the third studio album from the electronic rock/drum & bass band Pendulum. This album is pretty dope!

P/s: The posting is going to cut down for this few weeks as I’m swarmed with too many things. All posting will be resume pretty soon.

P/s/s: I think not many people realize that there is actually some goodies in the comment in all the recent posts. So, do check it out! ;-)

Immersion by Pendulum

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Early In The Morning by James Vincent McMorrow

It was middle of the night while I was blog hopping while listening to some random albums that I had just downloaded few days ago. Out of sudden, a calming voice with its mournful tunes of music chilled my spines. It had been long that a song actually gave me goosebumps. Nonetheless, it was James Vincent McMorrow with his ever haunting voice. By the way, the song is “Follow you down to the red oak tree”. A very beautiful, calming and haunting track. Mournful in a way but not depressive.

Ireland! The country that has been producing some of the most remarkable singers for the world to hear. James Vincent McMorrow is officially one of them. I like to think that McMorrow is kind of a fill up for the dry spell of Damien Rice. Yet again, McMorrow do not make you feel like hanging yourself. McMorrow music is lighter and cheerful than Damien Rice dark and depressive tunes.

Early In The Morning, is a dreamy, calming and smooth folk pop album. Something like Bon Iver or Iron and Wine kind of music. But it is a little bit dark tone than Bon Iver and warmth than Iron and Wine. I also found that the way McMorrow sings actually reminds me of Bret Dennen. For the lack of vocabulary to describe it just go and listen their songs.

The opening track “If I had a boat” should manage to give the listener an idea of how the album is going to sound like. Boat is upbeat yet gentle in a way that it offered warmth and softness. Drifting in between the line of folksy ballad and pop. A deadly combination. Boat is absolutely amazing. 

"Hear the things that moves so soft and slow” a mouthful for song titles don’t you thinks? But just like the song title goes, the harmony of this track is gorgeous. The banjo rifting with McMorrow smokey-almost-non-existent vocal; the track is hypnotizing. “Sparrow and the Wolf” is all about folk music. There is no doubt about that. Period. An upbeat tunes, again a combination of folk and pop.

“Breaking heart” obviously this song sings about the lost love and that he had been in this sorrowful time far too long. A love that never reciprocated. “Cause I have been breaking heart far too long", loving you far too long” The lyric just keep on repeating itself like far too long.

“We Don’t Eat” was driven by pianos. One of them was very distinctive as it only has one tone throughout the whole song. The song is kind of dark, all hopes had lost. Drifting aimlessly, desperately finding a way to dock yet at the same time screaming whether all these effort are worth it. Perhaps give up would be a better choice.

“This Old Dark Machine” might be the peppiest song in the whole album. I just can’t help but to snap my finger and move my shoulders while listening to this song. “Follow You Down to the Red Oak Tree” like I mentioned earlier. It was one of the highlight of the album. The melodies and the slurred vocals of McMorrow just complement each other perfectly. One of the best tracks of the year.

“Down the Burning Ropes” definitely brings out the best of McMorrow singing techniques. He was simply amazing in this song. His talent is undeniable. If one does, he/she should be stoned to death. No kidding!

“From the Woods” somehow for this song I have this character in my mind. He is kind of like a hunter, hunting for bears as the song suggested it. But it was more like a symbolic thing. It is more like love than a bear to me. However, just like a wild bear, love is never tame. It is a wild thing. He tried to tamed it and succeed but with a price. “I taste the sulfur on my breath, I see the blood pool on the step. The moon so thick, the wounds so fresh. And all is well....”

“And If My Heart Should Somehow Stop” as the song title suggest this is a love song. A hide and seek love I think. Not so blunt by saying “I love you” right smack at the face. Where the fun of this? The song is more like “I love you. Do you know that? No, you don’t notice it do you? Well, I love you and I will be here waiting for you.”

“Early in the morning, I’ll come calling” The perfect track to end this album. The identical title does give a vibe of completeness. It was a very folksy track. The banjo was so significant and fresh.

Early in The Morning by James Vincent McMorrow is truly one of the finest albums I have listened this year. The album is so fluid to listen to. Flawless. One of the best albums in years to come.

 

Early In The Morning by James Vincent McMorrow

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Don your suit of lights by The Mostar Diving Club

Don Your Suit of Lights is kind of like an oxygen tank. It gave me a whole new breathe during my music dry spell. It was like the first breathe out from water. Something that totally shaken me up. I was first introduced to Vagabonds and Clowns when I was watching Grey’s Anatomy. After months of google-ing finally I stumble upon a source for the complete album. It was like Christopher Columbus discovered America. The Mostar Diving Club is the solo project by Damian Katkhuda. This is his debut solo album which was actually an outlet for him to do some of his quirky and unconventional tunes. A chance for him to experiment with different instruments. Don Your Suit of Lights is a drowsy, folksier album which act as a medium for him to story tell. 

The album starts of with “With His New Amour”, a very lullaby track; drowsy and mellow. The echo of the piano which sounded like far away accompany with the cello and Katkhuda vocals. It gave me this vibes that this song is somewhat a memory. Vagabonds and Clowns is a very quirky yet gripping track. Some where in the middle it was a bit froggy. Yes, froggy…I just keep on having this image in my mind where the frog is singing this song. Too much cartoons when I was still a child I guess. Then, The Medicine Show came along, a peppier track unlike the rest of the songs. Childishly simple but delightful piano, and even a smattering of banjo picking here and there.

The Honey Tree is another good summery track. However, I do found that the beginning of the track have a bit similarity with Zee Avi’s Bitter Heart. Like Bitter Heart, Honey Tree also offered a kind of buoyancy to the track. Katkhuda shows his quirkiness again in this track with the cricket-sound-alike noise in the background of the track. It does brings a grin onto the face. Ghost Train Arpeggio is a full instrumental track lasted just a little bit over 1.30mins. Tricky Hands and Radios starts with a melodious ukulele tunes then it realm into something more circus-ish tunes.

Don Your Suit of Lights is a very blissful album. It is fascinating too. The whole album screams feeling. You can’t help but wonder how come others album don’t make you feel like how this album does. Now and then, when you pick it up and listen to it. The feeling is still there. It won’t like other albums that the feeling eventually wear off. This album linger.

Don your suit of lights by The Mostar Diving Club

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The Devil and I by Lone Wolf

Lone Wolf is the alter ego of multi-instrumentalist Paul Marshall. The Devil and I was released on May 17th 2010. The more I listen to this album the more I think the entertainment industry that is so focused on money milking is too fucked up. This album is so incredible yet it lack of the publicity it needed. The Devil and I are unlike any album one used to listen too. Its lyrics often venture into a very dark side of humanity at the same time reminds as beautiful as possible. The album has very rich musicals and lyrics which oozes melodic melancholy. It also sounds very large and magnificent with orchestral moments.

Lone Wolf is a musician that sings about death and murder. His often tells his story in a darker side. If Taylor Swift music if fairy tales like, Lone Wolf music is like the witch in the fairy tales, poisoning Snow White with the apple and watch her died in agony, slowly. It may sound creepy and distorted. But, until you listen to this album you have no right to dismiss this album. I dare said if there is a real award for the best music of the year; this album is going to be the top 10 album of the year. There is no way this album won’t make it.

The opening track This Is War definitely definitely is one of the stands out track. The song keep on building up throughout the whole duration. The song lurks around the dark and troubled music tone. However, it also emotes Lone Wolf confidence in this track. The climatic trumpet at the midway of the song is incredible. It’s a turning point for the song. Keep Your Eyes on The Road definitely shows how great Marshall is with the guitar. Likewise, the song keep on climaxing and mid-way through it totally blow people off. That is what I called eargasm. 

 We Could Use Your Blood, venture into a more simplify and clean and melancholy tone. Marshall guitar skills shine in this track. It also shows his prowess vocal able to deliver unaffected. Coco Chanel once said, Less is More. Perhaps, in music it is the same. Just like We Could Use Your Blood, 15 Letters is a very bloody, murderous, simple and clean track.  “She lead me down the garden path and bled me dry, dry.”/ “She buried me in the churchyard where she wed me long ago.”   The song kind of telling a story of a dead man killed by his wife which his wife is trying very hard to try to forget him. Another song, Devil River also fall into the less is more category. These 3 are very affecting songs. Maybe because it sounded more raw and real since it is less complicated than others.

The Devil and I (part 1) is a full instrumental track. The piano carries the melody throughout. Somewhere in the middle of the track, along came cello to join the symphony. A very mournful track nonetheless. The Devil and I (part 2) is kind of like a continuation from 15 Letters. Its lyric goes something like this “The devil and I were alone in my house last night/He laughed at my joke, struck a match, burned the place to the ground. Never before in my life have I sifted through ashes so fine, To find that my live was all gone, now just pain was all mine.”  It is a very depressing song. The persona rather die in the end. “And my friends have all thrown me a line, but I'd rather go down with my vessel.”

The Devil and I, stirring up an atmosphere of emotive intensity that resonates with Marshall's confessional presence rather than obscures it. He definitely skillful way with words and of course music, masterfully making heartbreak a matter of life and death. The album is consistently good throughout the whole time. It is excellent.

 

The Devil and I by Lone Wolf

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Beat The Devil’s Tattoo by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Released on March 2010, Beat the Devil’s Tattoo is BRMC sixth album since the band formed in 1998. Though BRMC is influenced by classic rock, Beat the Devil’s Tattoo offered more than just another typical rock album. It is rather inspiring, charging while stomping hard occasionally with a hint of  tribal influences causing one to have a desire to do a tribal dance beside a giant bonfire. At some point, it seems like we are being transported back into the eighties where classic rock is at it’s peak. Sitting at the neon lighted bar gulping down ice-cold beer, savouring the linger taste of tobacco. Just chilling after a long-day ravaging the highway with a superbike. Biking aimlessly. This is Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

With the opening track, Beat The Devil’s Tattoo definitely would captivate anyone. It’s just so hard to not continues to listen to it. Conscience Killer and Bad Blood were some sort like a reminisce of the past few albums. The former have a full energy bust from the beginning. However, from Bad Blood onwards the album kind of take a turn towards greatness. War Machines is pretty impressive. The white noise and the scornful music and lyric is a very dynamic match.  Sweet Feeling, The Toll and Long Way Down are leaning toward a more folksy-bluesy-lazy jams. 'Evol', the album's mid-point which actually is “love'” spelled backward. Well, no surprise here as the song sang about love.

Beat The Devil’s Tattoo might be a bit different with the previous album by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club but nonetheless BRMC still proved that they are still in the game. 

Beat The Devil’s Tattoo by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

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The Ladder by Andrew Belle

If you ever watched Grey’s Anatomy season 6 finale which I must said it was a breathtaking heart-stopping finale. Remember a scene where Bailey tried to drag the dying Charles into the elevator but breakdown after found out the elevators were off then came a very comforting voice and sang which the lyric went like this “Nothing goes as planned. Everything will break. People say goodbye. In their own special way…” That my friend is Andrew Belle, an American singer-songwriter from Wheaton, Illinois. The Ladder is his first LP which was launched in February. Which I ought to say it is impressive. If you like Greg Laswell or Katie Herzig this is the album you need to get! No doubt about that.

There is no bad songs at all in this album. His songwriting skill is very impressive. So does his comforting voice. There are so much passion in his music. It is a pleasure listening to this album. The opening track, The Ladder kind of gives you an idea in general where this album is heading. The Static Waves which Katie Herzig was feat in definitely is a standout track in this album. Their voice just blend in flawlessly. There are some genuine beauty in this album under those keys and strings.

I can go on and on complimenting how good this album is. “Reach” is so smooth for ears though it only have 3 sentences. “Oh My Stars” is a very beautiful and melodious track. It gives a serene ambient. “My Oldest Friend” have a hint of jazz in it. The closing track “Make It Without You” is leaning toward a more melancholy tunes and of course the tune is very good too.

All in all, your ears will thank you by listening to this album.

The Ladder by Andrew Belle

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I, Vigilante by Crippled Black Phoenix

Crippled Black Phoenix , one of the most neglected band from United Kingdom by the world. Formed in 2004 CBP had launched 3 albums and 1 EP which is I, Vigilante. I, Vigilante is a 6 tracks EP but with an epic length of 45 minutes. A worthy spend of 45 minutes that brings you through a poignant, euphoric, ambient, cinematic, explosive, exquisite and melancholia music journey. All I can said is this is an epic album that pay so much detail in the music to the extend that this is a masterpiece.

 

The music kick off with Troublemaker with a dialogue between 2 person some sort like an introduction. (The leopard never changes its spot….wolf sir…the wolf changes its fur but not its nature) Then the music kick off with a mournful murky voice captivating one attention in a millisecond. This was followed by We Forgotten Who We Are the second track of the album. Which I like to assume it as an epic 11-minutes of eargasmic. The beautiful piano that spawn out a total of 2.30mins is utterly hypnotic. Slowly building the climatic effect of the song with the piano, bass/electronic guitar, drum and cymbal, eloquent one emotion in this chaos calmness. Somehow, 11mins is just too short for this song.

Fantastic Justice is a stunning track too with its drumming that resemble like a marching band. The momentum of the non-stop chant  at the beginning of the track is almost like it is pushing the track to a new height. Bostogne Blues is evocative as the opening song features a WWII veteran describing the moment he faced and killed a German soldier with a buzzing drone sound as the background. ( I scream at him to surrender. And instead of surrendering he started to pull his gun towards me which was instant death for him…he was like a little angle but i still have to shoot him. It didn’t bother me the first night…but the second night I woke up crying…and to this day I woke up crying…I still see him in my dream…) This song is an emotional resonance and cinematic-orchestra at the same time. It is mournful and dark, a certain degrees of sadness that blanket this song. The combination of piano, cello, viola, horn and other musical instruments is breathtaking magnificent. The best well spend 12mins of one life.

The thing with Crippled Black Phoenix is that they are amorphous, metamorphosis to one form to another as long as they feel like too. The last two song of the EP, Of A Lifetime and Burning Bridges is a complete dimension in this EP. The cheerful and sweet tones of the songs are far fetch from the previous 4 tracks. It does seems out of place but somehow in a way or another the odd piece just fit in the puzzle perfectly.

I, Vigilante IS a masterpiece from Crippled Black Phoenix. Period.

I, Vigilante by Crippled Black Phoenix

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Live Performances on Internet

This was a request from Matt Stevens the brilliant guitarist that I post about a few weeks ago. Well, looks like a few musicians is going to gather together on the web to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. What is Multiple Sclerosis? It is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelization and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms. Confuse much? So am I! Just check the wiki page will do.

 

So at 3pm British Summer Time (Malaysia time 10pm, Saturday) on 18th and 19th of Sept (this weekend) those who are interested can streamed their performances at here: http://cafenoodle.ning.com

For more infomation you can visit the facebook event page:

http://www.facebook.com/mattstevensloop?ref=search&sid=641983419.3643988580..1#!/event.php?eid=157600937584566&ref=mf

and the international times are here:

http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?day=18&month=9&year=2010&hour=15&min=0&sec=0&p1=136

The confirmed performances are: Alun Vaughan, Matt Stevens,Nick Tann, Rainer Straschill,Tracy Shaun, Chrissie Caulfield, Sam Neiland, USit, Steve Moyes and many more...

Peace out with love. Ciao folks!

Live Performances on Internet

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Singing Ax by J. Tillman

Launched just two days ago, J. Tillman seventh album Singing Ax which was recorded in 3 days only is phenomenal. However, not everyone can accept the style of J. Tillman which is minimalist and dead space in between song. There are not many things going on. There are no fireworks in his album which explode with a bang and lit the night sky with its bright colour, nothing so climatic. However, this does not mean that there are no sparks in this album. Tillman preferences of minimalist are just where the beauty lies. The brief pauses and the short breaths moment before venturing into the next quaint verse of the lyric is what made this album breathtaking.

This is a very beautiful quaint album. It is not the typical album where you can stop the album at any time you want and move on to do others things. If you can accept Tillman style or folk genres, you hardly can find fault in this album. It is beautiful. It is haunting. It is ghostly. It is somber. It is intimate. It is ambient. It is relaxing. It linger even after you finished listening and you will find yourself drifting into your own thought.

I cannot pin-point which song is the standout track because all tracks are equally marvelous. The opening track, Three Sister would surely give a general idea on how the album would turn out. A seat at the Table wrapped the album up in a good way. His mellow voice accompany with the acoustic guitar/banjo; the climatic drumming at the end of the song with his humming and the sudden stop. As like he is slowly moving out from the scene and consume by the darkness with a brief pause right before he is gone.

Tracklist:

1. Three Sisters
2. Diamondback
3. Love No Less Worthy
4. One Task
5. Our Beloved Tyrant
6. Tillman’s Rag
7. Mere Ornaments
8. Singing Ax
9. Madness on the Mountain
10. Maria
11. A Seat at the Table

Listen:

"Three Sisters" http://westernvinyl.com/audio/WV78.Three.Sisters.mp3
"Diamondback" http://westernvinyl.com/audio/WV78.DBK.mp3

Singing Ax by J. Tillman

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Free albums/tracks to download (Legally)

This is a post introducing where you can download albums/tracks legally from some of the artist official website. They are legit! So do check them out. Highly recommended! Just key in your email address (don’t worry no spam I tried) and you are ready to go. Enjoy folks!

 

Pictures by Uniform Motion

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As with most biographies, this story begins with the utterances of hypnotic phrases being repeated over, and over, and over, again; ricocheting through a developing sensitive mind; with the whispering of bitter-sweet music before the age of reason. The words, the sounds and the looks that a young mind has processed cannot be erased. They can only be stored in different places. Under the influence of Steven Heller’s Monsters and Magical Sticks, the concept of Uniform Motion sees the light. (continue)

 

Releases EP by Dag för Dag

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I begin where the two siblings, Sarah Parthemore Snavely and Jacob Donald Snavely, are separated and left to search each for their own lives and times, where they began to wander the earth not really knowing where home was until they figured it was just nowhere and simply kept on wandering, from Missoula where time seems to fly differently than it does anywhere else, to Wisconsin where the streets are long and grey, to Honolulu, to a gritty 90’s London, to the devil knows where, to San Francisco, and we all know what goes on there. For the two wanderers with no place to call home, Sweden seemed as good a place as any to settle down for a while, buy a bicycle, fall in love, fall from grace, wake up new, pick up a guitar, steal a 4-track, take mercy on an abandoned piano, and get to work. (continue)

 

Making Up a Changing Mind by Pretty Lights

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Pretty Lights is an electronic music duo from Colorado consisting of Derek Vincent Smith and Adam Deitch. Since July 2010, Adam Deitch has assisted during live performances. Smith's music is the byproduct of digital sampling and crosses many genres, forming a combination of "glitchy hip-hop beats, buzzing synth lines, and vintage funk and soul samples." There are a total of 7 album! Yes 7 album to download for free at their official website. If, you are haunted by the guilty pleasure you can donate money to them by clicking the donate button below the download button. (continue)

 

Looking Up by Eels from Tomorrow Morning album

  download track

Eels is an American alternative/acoustic indie rock band formed by singer/songwriter Mark Oliver Everett, better known as "Mr. E" or simply E. Born in 1963, he grew up experimenting with music in Washington D.C. and later moved to Los Angeles, California, United States emerging as the frontman of a band, calling Eels a vessel for his music. Other members rotate frequently, both in the studio and on stage. Their live shows include interesting interpretations of older songs, and usually some well-known covers. (continue)

 

Modern Drift by Efterklang from Magic Chairs album

download track

Efterklang is a band from Copenhagen, Denmark, consisting of four core members (Mads Brauer, Casper Clausen, Thomas Husmer & Rasmus Stolberg) who have played together since 2001. They are often joined by musicians like Peter Broderick, Frederik Teige, Heather Broderick and Niklas Antonson when they perform live and they also have a 5th member (Rune Mølgaard) who has been a part of Efterklang since the beginning, but who has taken a more secluded role in the past years.

Free albums/tracks to download (Legally)

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Sand River EP by Sand River

A little bit of history here, Sand River is a  two-man, guitar (Si) and drums (Guy) band from Durham. They have been playing together for a few years, gigging around the North-East of Britain. They launched this self-funded and self-released EP which was produced entirely on drums and guitars.

The album started off with The Reprisal (Kid Dust pt.3) with drumming then plucking of the bass or was it electronic guitar? I think is bass. Anyway, I thought this is going to be a heavy metallic kind of album at the strung of 1st note. But, I’m wrong! It was nothing close! It was kind like a twisted blues tune with low tempo throughout the whole album. A drifty, shadowy kind of album.

The song that caught my attention is Goodnight, Goodnight. I really like how the music played through out the track and how the vocal of Si intoxicating the night. (was writing this in middle of the night) Love is another track that worth mentioning. I really like the clapping in this song. It brings a different dimension to the track rather than just the drum and the guitar. It was lively. Si vocal blend with the music effortlessly. However, the album kind of lost me at Kid Dust and the Black Heart (pts. 1 &2). It was a 8.32min track. I guess it might be two songs that combine together given that the track was named such. It was a little bit too long as the whole track is kind of repetitive with it tunes. 

Overall, Sand River EP is a 6-tracks EP. At, first listening it won’t be able to grab a hold of you. One may probably found this EP is boring as there is no explosive moment where you will go “woah! That gives me chill”. But, if you give this album a few more chances (which it deserves) it would slowly grows on you. Yet, Sand River still have room to grow. I found that they lack of depth in their vocal and occasionally a bit repetitive in some of the tracks.

Buy or listen their music at bandcamp or visit them at myspace.

Sand River EP by Sand River

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Better in Time by Bobby Bazini

Don’t be surprise when you listen to this album and only found out that this singer, Bobby Bazini is only 20 years old. Better in Time is the debut album of Bobby Bazini. His voice is soulful and full with maturity which is definitely a plus point to sing in folk genres. However, this album is not completely a folk influenced album. It is a mixture of country, folk, blues, pop, jazz, soul and R&B. True enough, this album does and I quote from his myspace “reminiscent of the great sounds of R&B/soul music of the early days.”

Basically, the album revolve around concept of relationship. Most of the songs sing about the love in between lover. I Wonder is the first single of this album. A beautiful track that sings about his love for a girl and was in doubt whether she will love him forever. A very soulful, blues and R&B track that never fail to capture my attention with his magnetic voice. Broken Road sings about he is leaving her because he is not himself anymore though his heart told him not too. At the end, he left her yet maintain contact with her. Oh Katy sings about his girlfriend.  Morning Comes sings about being somewhere with his girlfriend and spend the night until the morning comes. Just with each other without thinking anything else. Just spend the time together quietly and that is all they need.

At first listening, I can’t help but to relate him to Paolo Nutini because the way they interpret their music is so similar. But after listening completely the whole album. It dawn to me that Paulo Nutini is Paulo Nutini, Bobby Bazini is Bobby Bazini. Bazini might sounds like Nutini but he is telling his own stories with this album. He is a story teller that sharing his stories to the world with this album.

Better in Time by Bobby Bazini

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Beachcomber's Windowsill by Stornoway

A first glance of the album cover one might think that this is a rock album. I know I did. It just gave me the gothic rock vibe. However, when I listened to it I was astonished. There is no way in hell this is a rock album, this is folk! A complete opposite way. Beachcomber’s Windowsill is the debut album by Stornoway launched in May. They are a British alternative indie pop band.

Stornoway in fact produces very dreamy, whimsical, folksy breezy songs.  You can’t help but to imagine the peaceful countryside during the summer.

At first listening, it is noticeable that Stornoway writes very melodic songs that uses many type of musical instrumentals. Besides, one can said that Stornoway is somewhat back to basic. Their music is quite au neutral, a raw production of album. The usage of electronic production is kept at minimal. Every single tracks in the album is a piece of it own. It does not end up like other album where the tracks is kind of similar to one another. They produced quite a variety of music that is evocative and almost all of them is really good.

 

The album starts off with Zorbing, a very dreamy whimsical folksier song that never fail to capture my attention. It is very good! It evokes this sense of harmonious feeling with its’ a bit child-like lyric. We Are The Battery Human is a very impressing song with it choir, swelling strings and the trumpeting. Fuel Up is a very beautiful song. Its lyric is beautifully written, describing phases of life of a boy. Stornoway has become a story teller in this song.

The Coldharbour Road itself is quite a melancholy song.  It started with sorrowful heavy-violin tune and mournful voice of Brian Briggs. The song slowly pick up towards the end. “And now you're going tears are flowing, 'Cos while you're leaving I'm still believing”. The Coldharbour Road is like a hidden delight in this album waiting to be savour.

Watching Birds is like the hidden rock star in Stornoway. In fact, Watching Birds is the rockiest song in this album. The strumming of the bass guitar. The drumming and the cymbal. The screaming. And the clown like trumpet at the end of the song. Perhaps, Briggs need to rock once in awhile.

The last track, Long Distance Lullaby is the perfect song to end this album. It is kind of the way for Stornoway to announce the ending of this album to the audience.  “I'm back and I'm through the door now, hear me go bouncing down the hall now. Goodnight goodnight soul mate. " The lyric is bitter sweet. Quite a stark contrast with the opening track, Zorbing. Zorbing is very joyful in tune. Long Distance Lullaby is like moody. As if like, they are not ready to put down the curtain to end the show and departing is too painful.

There are actually two version of “Zorbing” official video. I prefer the 1st one though.

Beachcomber's Windowsill by Stornoway

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True Love Stories by Alan Pownall

Alan Pownall a singer song writer from London. True Love Stories is his debut album that released in 25th June. A perfect album for the summer as this album has this intense summer vibe, very resembling to the one In Between Dreams by Jack Johnson. His album can’t really be included in the folk genres. Is somewhere in between folk and pop. Folk-pop perhaps? Oh yeah, this album is very English.

Frankly speaking this album ain’t ground breaking. It won’t made you have the ‘ooooahhhhh’ moment. The album is not bad nor good. This album is nice. From the first track to the last track, it is almost like you are in a train or a car that run smoothly without any bumpy part. No up and down. All the tracks sound alike with one another. Still the album is nice to listen. His voice is pleasant enough, light for the ears. Perhaps, Pownall have the word ‘relax’ in mind when he was producing this album. My friend commented that it has this 80/90s vibe, a new kind of retro. Maybe this is what vintage sounds like. The good ol' days when vinyl still widely available, at least that is how i pictured it.

No doubt this album definitely would make it as it is radio friendly. Easy to accept by the mainstream audience. The breezy and summer vibe tune. And few tracks that can easily let people sway along with the music notes. The melodious music tune is just too good to resist to not sway along. It is almost like the ‘black tadpoles’ is massaging your sore muscles, timidly.  It is after all, a easy listening affair offered by this album.

The standout track I think is the Colourful Day. A very melodious, bittersweet and memorable song. And I can’t help to relate him to the troubadour in Gilmore Girls. In fact, Pownall music is kind of troubadour-ish. Not to mention, the album kind of took a turn after this song. The rest of the songs after Colourful Day, is very vintage styled. It is more obvious in Take Me, The Others, Turn Me Down and You Know.

Overall, the album only pick up at the 2nd half of the album. It can be said that Colourful Day is the heart of the album, the center. (well, the song placement is in fact in the middle) The last 5 songs may perhaps is where the soul of this album lies. A little too late, because before you know it the cd had stopped spinning. It Is like a climax in suspense. However, one cannot denied that Pownall is in fact an old soul despite his young age. This album brings peace, warm and delicate to one soul.

True Love Stories by Alan Pownall

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Monarchy by Monarchy

If you by any one in a zillion chance happen to be in Mars (yes, the planet) right now don’t forget to tune into your radio because you might managed to catch a glimpse of Monarchy up coming album that is going to launch in January 2011. If you must know, Monarchy is the first ever band that beamed their songs into space by performing live. Monarchy is a debut self-titled album by a mysterious duo from London. 

After their successful remixes of songs from Lady Gaga, Ellie Golding, Marina and The Diamonds etc. Monarchy had successfully established themselves as a promising pop band. The rhythms produced by them is futuristic, catchy and dreamy.  Their is no doubt that they are going to be a hit especially for the clubbing scene once their album launched. Their synthpop tune is very impressive. It is almost like every beats had been calculated with laser-cut precision. 

The first track of the song Black, The Colour of the Heart is very spacey. The pulsing beats at the beginning almost feel like drifting into the vast vacuum. The second track, The Phoenix Alive is a very upbeat track and with a very impressive macro music video. Definitely a tune for club. The third track Love Get Out Of The Way, is another upbeat track that have an equally impressive music video with great dancers.Gold In The Fire is very good too. Floating Cars, might perhaps the standout track in this album. The pulsing beats, the dreamy notes, the catchy lyric and the trailing vocals. Perfecto! The last track, however is my personal favorite, Travelling by Ambulance. A very catchy tune with big lyric Craving human touch, You’re the saddest curse. or Don’t want to be all alone, You can put me on life support. I have been listening to it over and over again.

This album can be quite addictive.

01. Black, The Colour Of My Heart (4:30)
02. The Phoenix Alive (4:44)
03. Love Get Out Of My Way (3:20)
04. Maybe I%27m Crazy (4:49)
05. You Don%27t Want To Dance With Me (3:27)
06. Around The Sun (1:38)
07. We Were Young (4:18)
08. Floating Cars (4:41)
09. Gold In The Fire (4:33)
10. Call (4:55)
11. Travelling By Ambulance (4:16)

 

 

Monarchy by Monarchy

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