10 Favourite Albums of 2011

Here we are again. Before 2011 comes to a close, I'd like to present 10 of my favourite albums this year. As an added bonus, skip to the end for my favourite EP. Happy New Year everyone!



10. Wild Flag - Wild Flag

Here's one record that psyched me up before its release because of the pedigree of the band members. Bringing together Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss, Helium's Mary Timony and the Minders' Rebecca Cole, Wild Flag is the eponymous release from the prominent indie-punk rockers. "Romance" kicks things off with swagger and exuberance that embodies the entire record, but my personal favourite has to be "Electric Band", with its lazy, heady sound that harks back to a bygone era.


Download:
Wild Flag - Romance [MP3]



9. Washed Out - Within and Without

Elegant yet subtle, Within and Without's sensual and refined sound is an evolution from Ernest Greene's earlier material. "Eyes Be Closed" is the lead single and one of the album's stand-out tracks. Soft, gauzy synths are glazed over with a hazy feel, and the beats are crisp and clear. "Amor Fati", or Latin for "Love of Fate", sounds blissfully sweet (read the full review here).

Download:
Washed Out - Amor Fati
Washed Out - Eyes Be Closed



8. Radiohead - The King of Limbs

At 37 minutes long, Radiohead's eighth studio album is their shortest record to date. When it comes to dishing out an exquisite record, Radiohead knows that brevity is the order of the day. Savour the tunes like fine wine: Soak up the smells. Take a sip here and a swig there, and you'll be duly rewarded in the end.








7. Marissa Nadler - Marissa Nadler

After being dropped from her record label, folk singer Marissa Nadler turned to Kickstarter, a fan-driven platform, to fund her fifth album. This fuelled arguably her best and most frank LP to date. Lead single "Baby, I Will Leave You In The Morning" is a pleading song about forgiveness, but my top pick is "Puppet Master", a quiet composition about lost love.

Download:
Marissa Nadler - Baby, I Will Leave You in the Morning
Marissa Nadler - In Your Lair, Bear



6. Katy B - On A Mission

Nominated for this year's Mercury Prize, On A Mission is a solid record that combines elements of dubstep, dance and pop. The album bursts to life from the get go. Katy B's (Kathleen Brien) vocals are deliciously sensual. I was smitten with songs like "Witches Brew", "Go Away", "Broken Record" and the witty "Easy Please Me". Moreover, midway through the album closer "Hard To Get", Katy acknowledges those who have supported her on her musical journey. Kudos to a truly grounded star-in-the-making.


Download:
Katy B - Broken Record



5. Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials

Florence Welch has been on a roll since the release of her brilliant debut Lungs and she just keeps getting better at her game. Her sophomore effort Ceremonials is a pompous and grandiose affair, captivating and spellbinding, lyrically and vocally stunning.

Download:
Florence + The Machine - What The Water Gave Me





4. Thievery Corporation - Culture of Fear

Culture of Fear, Thievery Corporation's sixth studio album, is one of the most underrated records of the year. Sure, the electronic DJ duo continue to take on their socio-political stances, but like they say: If it ain't broken, why fix it?

Download:
Thievery Corporation - Culture of Fear







3. Metronomy - The English Riviera

Metronomy blew me away with The English Riveria, the most laid-back and fun record I've heard all year. Shortlisted for the Mercury Prize, it's chock-a-block with shimmery tunes that wouldn't sound out of place on mainstream radio. Lead singer Joe Mount's falsetto is intriguing and charming, and he's backed by brilliant musicians like bassist Gbenga Adelekan and former Lightspeed Champion drummer Anna Prior. It's interesting to see where this band will go next.





2. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes

Lykke Li has come a long way since her Youth Novel days. Wounded Rhymes, her second album, is a work of art. It's defiant, darkly hypnotic, yet deeply passionate, you just get sucked into the swirling vortex. There's a whole lot of emotions going on, but you have to give it to the lady (and producer Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John fame) for pulling it all together into one neat, minimalist package. Certainly one of the best Swedish exports yet.

Download:
Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers
Lykke Li - Jerome



1. Feist - Metals

The fourth studio album from Canadian chanteuse Leslie Feist tops my list. It's pretty much the most cohesive and perfect record I've heard this year. Recorded in Big Sur, California, Feist smartly eschews lavish production for a cool, melancholic soundtrack that somehow becomes warm, comfort food for the soul. Sublime.

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...and my favourite EP:

Florrie - Experiments EP

Florrie (Florence Arnold) is one hell of a beautiful and talented woman. She's a singer-songwriter, drummer and model. And she's really in it for the music, given that she has adopted the grassroots strategy with her tunes, choosing instead to self-release her EPs instead of signing on to a record label. Experiments EP, her second after the excellent Introduction EP (you can download the latter for free off her website), is a thumping, synth-pop packed record that's fun, catchy and energetic.





Honourable Mentions:
Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know
Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest
Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
Austra - Feel It Break
Cults - Cults
Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Daily Randomness

Video roundup for the week:

Florence + The Machine: "No Light, No Light"



"No Light, No Light" is easily one of the best tracks on Florence Welch's second album, Ceremonials. Now it has this stunning, epic and haunting video to boot. I get the chills just watching it.

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Feist: "How Come You Never Go There"



Leslie Feist gets hair extensions and steps into the forest in this oddly enchanting video for "How Come You Never Go There", the first single taken off her fourth studio album, Metals.

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CSS: "City Grrrl" ft. Ssion



Taken off La Liberación, "City Grrrl" sees Lovefoxxx prancing round town and going through a dizzying array of outfits.

Little Boots: "Shake"

Sorry for the intermittent updates as I've been overworking myself lately, but I absolutely had to share this new song from Little Boots. Produced by James Ford of Simian Mobile Disco fame, "Shake" is the lead single from Victoria Hesketh's as-yet-untitled new album. This booming, thumping house-pop number sure is a great contender for anthem of the year. We ain't seeing any sophomore slump here.

Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:

Interesting finds in the inbox.



Here's one that's bound to make your heart ache.

Canadian singer-songwriter Drew Smith's "Love Teeth" is a story of love and loss. The animated video, a gorgeous accompaniment to the song, was created by one of his former ESL students. His new album The Secret Languages will be released in 2012. Definitely one to look out for.

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Mancunians City Reign are releasing their EP Numbers For Street Names on November 21. The lead single "Making Plans" has a whole lot of old video footage and a sweet, grungy sound.

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The kids finally have an official video to their name! "Drum In Your Chest", from mysterious London boy-girl duo BIGKids is wacky yet addictive.

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There's something about Christine Leakey's sound that reminds me of 1920s Shanghai. She will be releasing Tapping Trees in a Trinket Box of Treasure in January 2012, an album that took 14 years in the making.

Years ago, the self-taught guitarist suffered an injury that left her unable to play and put a spanner in the works. Despite the unfortunate incident, she managed to bounce back. Here's "Lovely", a song with a snazzy old vibe.

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Hailing from Romania, The Mono Jacks are a four-piece band whose sound brings to mind Interpol, Editors and The White Lies. "Woman" is the first single off their forthcoming record Fortunes, which is out in December.

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Snow & Voices “Maybe Finland” from Lauri Kranz on Vimeo.

Snow & Voices also have a new video for "Maybe Finland". Director Shannyn Sossamon talks about her inspiration below:

I love Lauri’s voice. When she asked me to make the video for Maybe Finland, I was happy to do it. Ravi Dhar, a friend and cameraman, had been wanting to have fun with slow motion on his Canon - which was actually perfect for Lauri’s voice and the songs atmosphere. We made it one late night at Ravi's house where Lauri was a trooper, having to dance for hours and hours without a clear end in sight. Here it is. Enjoy the video!

2012 Singapore St. Jerome's Laneway Festival

Mark your calendars for February 12, kids!

Yeah that's right, Laneway Festival is returning to Singapore. It's happening at Fort Canning again, and we have 14 acts this time, running the gamut from rock to folk to pop and shoegaze.

Here's the full line-up:

Anna Calvi
Austra
Cults
Feist
Girls
Laura Marling
M83
The Drums
The Horrors
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Toro Y Moi
Twin Shadow
Wu Lyf
Yuck

Public sales start on November 28. Tickets are at $135. For more information, head on over to the official site.

Downloads:
Austra - Lose It
Feist - So Sorry
Girls - Laura
The Drums - Days
Twin Shadow - Slow [Removed]
Wu Lyf - We Bros
Yuck - Get Away

Daily Randomness

Let's go back in time:

Lykke Li: "I Follow Rivers"



Is it love, lust or infatuation? Lykke Li goes on a relentless pursuit of a man in this video, running in her bare feet through the snow while the dark tune looms in the background. Amazing song, kick-ass video. I love the part where she shoots an icy, cold glare at the viewer.

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Feist: "1234"



Here's the song that sold a million iPods and brought Leslie Feist to the rest of the world.

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OK Go: "White Knuckles"



I really dig the music videos from OK Go, and here's one where I pretty much like the song as well.

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Foster The People: "Pumped Up Kicks"



Here's my guilty pleasure. 'Nuff said.

Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:

Labrador's latest signing is a precocious talent from Stockholm, Sweden. Amanda Mair, all of 16, was picked up by the label when they discovered her by chance in 2010. Her second single "Doubt" just popped today, and I am absolutely smitten by the song, and really impressed by her level of maturity. "Doubt" is a smart tune, achingly modern with a dose of girlish charm mixed into the fold.

Her debut single "House", on the other hand, starts off as a piano-driven song before it culminates in an emotive, triumphant pop song. I absolutely can't wait to hear her album.

Download:
Amanda Mair - Doubt
Amanda Mair - House

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Anti-folk pioneer Jeffrey Lewis returns with A Turn In The Dream-Songs. On "Cult Boyfriend", the first track off the album, Lewis' wit and dry humour shine through. It's cute to hear the man poke fun of himself.

Download:
Jeffrey Lewis - Cult Boyfriend

Guest Post: Lauri Kranz of Snow & Voices

This is a guest post by Lauri Kranz of Snow & Voices, the dreamy LA-based duo who released their third album Anything That Moves in 2010.

Lauri talks about the song that has inspired her the most. In her own words: "It’s just one song but, a killer."



"Famous Blue Raincoat"
By Leonard Cohen

This is not going to be perfect. It is difficult to put into words sometimes the things that hit us the hardest, unless you are Leonard Cohen. "Famous Blue Raincoat" is one of my favorite songs of all time, a song to break your heart by. Leonard Cohen’s voice is darkly beautiful. His words expose the foibles of us all, turning our mistakes and blunders into a great symphony. I heard this song again after a long absence while driving in Los Angeles on one of the few rainy days that we have here. I heard the opening chords and pulled the car over up high on Mulholland. I wanted no distractions. I was in the hands of a master. There is a great comfort in existing in this other world, even if for just five minutes and seven seconds.

I urge you to listen. Try shutting the lights down and lie very still. Put this song on the speakers and see if it doesn’t fill a space inside of you.

Someone told me recently that no one in their twenties even knows this song exists. I hope they are wrong. I needed this song when I was twenty just as much as I need it now. I take it with me wherever I go.

-Lauri Kranz
Snow & Voices

Florence and The Machine: "Shake It Out" Video

I love nothing better than watching Florence Welch dance. So it's great to see the epic new video for "Shake It Out" in all its Technicolor glory. "Shake It Out" is the first single off Florence and the Machine's new album Ceremonials, which will be released in the UK at the end of October.

Here's the very brilliant "What The Water Gave Me" for comparison.

Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:

Interesting finds in the inbox.


Drum In Your Chest from BIGkidsmusic on Vimeo.

New act from London. Helluva catchy sound.

Stream:
BIGkids - Drum In Your Chest

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Last winter, Canadian band The Rest were a few weeks away from completing their album Seesaw when a hard disk glitch wiped out their recordings. Luckily for them, they managed to salvage the album a few months down the road. The band is looking forward to releasing Seesaw early 2012, and in the interim they have launched a double A-side that's available for free at Bandcamp until Halloween.

Download:
The Rest - Always On My Mind / The Last Day

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The Heavy Dream is Canadian Dave King's latest musical venture. His album Under the Golden Sun is the product of over a year's worth of recording, with help from Pat Sansone (Wilco, The Autumn Defense), Paul Linklater and James Strachan. The 7" single featuring the title track is available for free on Bandcamp until the album is released in October.

Download:
The Heavy Dream - Under The Golden Sun 7"

Concert Review: Lykke Li - Live!

The stage was set. Black drapes hung from the ceiling. Strobe lights flickered wildly.

When Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson - better known as Lykke Li - finally took to the stage, she threw the audience into a frenzy.

Clad head-to-toe in black, the Swedish singer mesmerised the crowd at her Singapore show last Wednesday. She opened the set with a hauntingly beautiful rendition of "Jerome". Throughout the course of 1½ hours, she brought her critically-lauded sophomore album Wounded Rhymes to life.

Lykke Li preferred to let her music do the talking, keeping conversation to a minimal. She let her hair down, swathed herself in the black drapes, and banged the cymbals with her drumstick while she sang. Apart from newer material like "I Follow Rivers" and "Rich Kids Blues", she also covered songs from her debut, including "I'm Good, I'm Gone", "Little Bit" and crowd-favourite "Dance Dance Dance". She slipped in a cover of Burt Bacharach's "Please Stay" too.

When some fans shouted "I love you!" at the end of a song, she coolly took a swig of water before replying in a calm and collected manner, "I love you too". It was adorable.

Much to everyone's amusement, an overzealous fan bounded on stage during "Get Some" and took over the microphone, so Lykke Li very graciously stepped aside and let the fan sing the lines 'I'm your prostitute/you gon' get some'. That fan certainly got her 5 seconds of fame.

In the encore, she covered "Possibility", her sole contribution to the Twilight franchise's soundtrack. It isn't my favourite Lykke Li song, but the live version just blew me away. That was a superb way to close the night.

Arctic Monkeys: "Suck It and See" Video (NSFW)

Arctic Monkeys just dished out a naughty video for "Suck It and See", the title track off their latest album. The Sheffield band's very own drummer Matt Helders features in this one, where he gets it on with a young lass.

The single will be released on 7" and MP3 digital download at the end of October, and will be backed by their new song "Evil Twin".

Mimi Murmur

Mimi Murmur, a young band out of UK, pedal a mix of indie, pop and folk music. Citing influences such as Florence and The Machine, Kate Nash, Laura Marling and Marina and The Diamonds, the duo just doled out a bunch of piano-driven demos, which you can stream via SoundCloud.

Stream:
Mimi Murmur

Video: Marina And The Diamonds - Radioactive [Chuckie Remix]

Here's the Chuckie Remix of "Radioactive", the new single from Marina And The Diamonds. I can't decide if I like this or the original better.

Seyra

Homegrown singer-songwriter Seyra's self-titled debut EP has an easy charm about it: Pleasant and soothing, the acoustic folk-pop songs are a breeze to listen to. It's a commendable effort for a fledging young band made up of Seyra, Khidir (Guitar), Rupak (Bass/Guitar) and Zack (Percussion/Guitar). In fact, the band has garnered a couple of positive reviews since they played at Baybeats last month.

Their sound is fairly reminiscent of Zee Avi and Feist. "You Make Me Go" opens the EP in a jaunty, twinkly manner. The remaining tracks glide along before getting a proper closing with "Goodnight", an ambient number that's a personal favourite of mine. At 22 mins and 5 tracks long, it's worth your while checking it out.

Download:
Download Seyra's digital EP for free via Seyra's Bandcamp page.

Otherwise, check out "Skinny Lips" and "You Make Me Go" below.
Seyra - Skinny Lips
Seyra - You Make Me Go

Album Review: CSS - La Liberación

When Brazilian band CSS emerged in 2006, their infectious melodies and provocative lyrics made people sit up and listen. By cleverly merging indie, rock and dance music with a whole lot of quirkiness, they created a fresh new sound that set them apart from their contemporaries.

Unfortunately, they suffered a sophomore slump in 2008. While it wasn't a devastatingly bad LP, Donkey essentially stripped away all the brashness and quirkiness of their first, leaving an album that was more meh than marvellous.

It seems like they have found their footing again with La Liberación (Spanish for The Liberation). Those sex-laced songs are intact. That brashness and swagger is back. And there is a bunch of mellower stuff, as if to tell the world, "We have grown up."

The most memorable part on La Liberación is frontwoman Lovefoxxx's collaboration with Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie on "Hits Me Like a Rock", a head-bobbingly good reggae-funk number.

"City Grrrl" has been compared to Ke$ha, but CSS carry it off with more aplomb and street-cred, so much so that you honestly believe they don't give a shit at all.

There's no telling what they are exactly singing about on the song "La Liberación". They play on like a broken record for 2 minutes, but it's just so charmingly addictive that you want to scream 'grita, grita, mami!' (whatever the fuck that means) along with them as well.

Album closer "Fuck Everything" probably has the message that the band wants to send out to everyone: They are a young, fun-loving bunch and if you're a detractor, they won't hesitate to flip you the bird.

Download:
Exchange your email address for a free download of "Hits Me Like a Rock".

Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:

Music producer Mark Ronson weds model-actress Josephine de la Baume. Congratulations to the happy couple [link]!

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Sinead O'Connor is in desperate need of sex [link].

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The eponymous debut from Wild Flag, featuring Sleater-Kinney's Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss, Helium's Mary Timony and the Minders' Rebecca Cole is streaming on NPR. Go here to listen to Wild Flag in its entirety.

Edda Magnason

The Swedes have a knack for making great music. Swedish/Icelandic singer-songwriter Edda Magnason is one of their latest exports, a talented young woman who's going to charm the pants off you with her brand of orchestral pixie pop.

Check out "Blondie" to see what I mean. "Blondie" is taken off her soon-to-be-released second album Goods.


Edda Magnason - Blondie from Adrian Recordings on Vimeo.

Download:
Edda Magnason - Blondie [buy Goods]

Anothers Blood

I'm thrilled to share a little gem with you today: Here's a brand new London band called Anothers Blood, a band 'born out of an aspiration to create pop songs' and a 'desire to create something timeless'.

I love the intimate setting and dreamy sounds on "Lost Communication":



The song will be available as a free download from the band's website for 24 hours on October 3.

Charlotte Gainsbourg: "Terrible Angels" Video

This clip for English-French chanteuse Charlotte Gainsbourg's "Terrible Angels" is absolutely stunning as it is incredulous. We follow Charlotte as she walks through town and ends up dancing with -- wait for it -- clones of herself in a carpark.

If this electro-rock number is anything to go by, the upcoming Terrible Angels EP will sound markedly different from her older material, including 2010's critically-lauded IRM. Exciting times lie ahead.

Daily Randomness

Let's go back in time:

This is a new segment in the Daily Randomness series, where I'll post some not-so-new songs that I recently discovered or am listening to again. Just because.

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Garish: "Im Ärmel Meiner Linken Hand"



"Im Ärmel Meiner Linken Hand" is one of those lovable happy songs that I can play over and over again. And it has a cute video to boot. Hailing from Austria, Garish is an alternative rock band and this song is taken off their 2007 album, Parade.

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Electrelane: "To The East"



I'm really glad female indie rock band Electrelane is returning after a three year hiatus [link]. "To The East" is one of the most mesmerising songs I've ever heard, and is the first single off their 2007 album No Shouts, No Calls.

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Silversun Pickups: "Lazy Eye"



Brian Aubert, the singer for Silversun Pickups, has a unique set of pipes. His androgynous vocals are oddly appealing, and when you throw in some distorted guitars, bass and drums, you'll get a beautiful yet intense song in the form of "Lazy Eye". Imperfection never sounded this good.

Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:



Brooklyn indie-rock band Extra Arms just released the video for "Powerlessness", which you can check out above.

The video 'showcases a different side to the band and provides great rewards as they continue to challenge the boundaries of depth and sonic structure'. Their debut album In Parallel drops October 11 via Bibliotec Recordings.

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Phoenix frontman Thomas Mars and Sofia Coppola finally wed [link].

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The Pallers' debut album The Sea of Memories will be released September 27. "Come Rain, Come Sunshine" is the second single off the album.

Download:
Pallers - Come Rain, Come Sunshine

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Reading Festival 2011 playlist from RCRD LBL has songs from Cults, Best Coast, Smith Westerns, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros and White Denim. Whee. Go on and download it here.

St. Vincent: "Cruel" Video

Ooh, evil.

St. Vincent embraces the dark side with "Cruel", one of the cuts off her upcoming third album Strange Mercy. The new album is set for a September 13 release.

Annie Clark talks about the making of the video over at The Huffington Post.

Album Review: Fountains of Wayne - Sky Full of Holes

Partners-in-crime Chris Collingwood and Adam Schlesinger have made a career out of chronicling the stories of suburban life. The creative guns behind Fountains of Wayne even scored a commercial breakthrough in 2003 with "Stacy's Mom", a perky, raunchy ditty about a teenage boy's adolescent fantasies that cemented their status as kings of power pop.

On their fifth album, Sky Full of Holes, they have mellowed and cleaned up their act a little. The character sketches and solid production still exist, but Sky Full of Holes doesn't quite match the brilliant record that was Welcome Interstate Managers (2007's Traffic and Weather was a hit-and-miss affair). It makes for an enjoyable listen, but falls flat towards the end.

"Someone's Gonna Break Your Heart", a jangly, sparkling song with an oh-oh-oh refrain, is easily the best song on the album, with "Richie and Ruben" coming in a close second. Ballads like "A Road Song" seem to permeate the second half of the album and outstrip the faster numbers, bogging down the entire LP.

Not that it really matters though. The duo's solid songwriting and ability to relate to the everyman are probably reasons why the band have stood the test of time, even after 16 long years in the business.

Florence and the Machine: "What The Water Gave Me" Video

The blogosphere is abuzz today with the release of Florence and the Machine's "What The Water Gave Me", one of the tracks off her as-yet-untitled new album, which is due in November this year. I am stoked!

Marina And The Diamonds: "Radioactive" Video

After tempting us with Part 1: Fear And Loathing, Marina And The Diamonds return this week with Part 2: Radioactive. Here's the video, fresh off the stove.

Bon Iver: "Holocene" Video

Bon Iver's "Holocene" premiered on National Geographic just 2 days ago. Directed by Nabil Elderkin and filmed entirely in Iceland, we see the young protagonist weaving his way through the gorgeous landscape while Justin Vernon croons softly in the background. Just one word: Stunning.

Rachael Yamagata: "Starlight" Video

Rachael Yamagata
Get More:
Rachael Yamagata, MTV Hive

Regular readers of this blog (yes, all 2 of you) will know that I'm a big fan of the very talented Rachael Yamagata. She's returning October 11 with Chesapeake, her third LP after 2008's Elephants...Teeth Sinking into Heart. The video for the lead single "Starlight" was released today. Interspersed with grainy video footage of people (at weddings for instance), objects and nature, the grungy rock number has an old-school vibe to it.

Chesapeake is self-released on Rachael Yamagata's own Frankenfish Records. She is also working with PledgeMusic, the leading direct-to-fan site for musicians, to help fund her new record. Pledgers enjoy online exclusives, such as a digital download of the new album before its official release.

Download:
Rachael Yamagata - Starlight [MP3]

Album Review: Washed Out - Within And Without

Before Ernest Greene aka Washed Out released his Life of Leisure EP in 2009, he only had a few laptop-concocted songs to his name. But he quickly won plaudits from reviewers and bloggers, and almost single-handedly birthed the genre 'chillwave', thanks to Hipster Runoff.

(In any case, chillwave is "supposed to sound like something that was playing in the background of an old VHS cassette that you found in your attic from the late 80s/early 90s.")

Fast forward 2 years, Greene is still going strong, having just put out his first full-length album, Within And Without. Elegant yet subtle, its sensual and refined sound is an evolution from Greene's earlier material. "Eyes Be Closed" is the lead single and one of the album's stand-out tracks. Soft, gauzy synths are glazed over with a hazy feel, and the beats are crisp and clear. "Amor Fati", or Latin for "Love of Fate", sounds blissfully sweet.

With Within And Without, Greene has certainly proven that he is no one-trick pony.

Download:
Washed Out - Amor Fati
Washed Out - Eyes Be Closed

Willy Moon: "I Wanna Be Your Man" Video

Don't we all just love a dandy little video? Here's one from Willy Moon, a fresh-faced Kiwi who just unveiled his debut single, "I Wanna Be Your Man". The press have called him 'Bo Diddley remixed by Swizz Beats', but I think Willy has created a sound that's uniquely his own.

Marina And The Diamonds: "Fear And Loathing" Video

Marina And The Diamonds just put out a new track called "Fear And Loathing". Here's what she has to say about her upcoming release (via YouTube):

ELECTRA HEART: THE START
"Fear And Loathing"

"Electra Heart" embodies the lies, illusions and death of an American Dream.

"Part 1" is called "Fear And Loathing". This includes a preview of an album track, under same title.

"Part 2" will be posted on this same page next Monday at 4pm.

Nice to be back,
Love,
Marina

NDP 2011 Theme Song: "In A Heartbeat"

This year's National Day Parade theme song "In A Heartbeat" is performed by Singapore Idol runner-up Sylvia Ratonel. Happy 46th Birthday Singapore!

Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:

Word! Lykke Li is coming to Singapore on September 21. Tickets will be priced at $40, $68, $88, $108 & $128 (excluding SISTIC fees). Stay tuned as to when the tickets will go on sale. (Update: Tickets go on sale August 24!)

Download:
Get your Lykke Li songs and remixes here.

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In a performance commissioned by Loomstate, Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner (along with Hisham Akira Bharoocha and Ben Vida) led an orchestral ensemble of 41 strings in an originally composed performance celebrating the 41st anniversary of Earth Day. Read about the 41 Strings project and download the individual tracks through The Creators Project page.

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Folk duo The Milk Carton Kids' (Kenneth Pattengale & Joey Ryan) first official release Prologue is available for free.

Download:
The Milk Carton Kids - Prologue [ZIP]

Best Coast: "Our Deal" Video

Get More: MTV Supervideo, Music, Best Coast

It's amazing what big budgets can do. Drew Barrymore made a mini movie out of Best Coast's "Our Deal" (taken off 2010's Crazy For You). Starring Chloe Moretz (Kick-Ass), Donald Glover (Community), Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf), Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly) and Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development), it's a tragic love story between two members of rival street gangs. Think modern day Romeo & Juliet.

Download:
Best Coast - Our Deal [buy Crazy For You]

Interview with SneakPeek

We featured female-fronted lo-fi/garage/grunge/psych band SneakPeek about a fortnight ago, and we couldn't resist asking the enigmatic bunch a few questions.

I Know That I'm Right: Tell us about the band. Who are the members, and who plays what instruments?

SNEAKPEEK:
Dora Hiller - Bass, Vocals
Aric Bohn - Guitar
Aaron Haack - Drums
Mike Motz - Guitar

How did you guys come up with the band name?

We had a hard time deciding on a name. We wanted to be Wishlist, but that was taken, so we went with the next best thing we could think of, SNEAKPEEK.

How did you meet and end up playing together?

Dora and Aric are a couple who live together in Echo Park. Aric, Aaron and Mike were in a band in high school called the Mutes.

Talk about your musical influences.

Our musical influences include Singapore Sling, Smashing Pumpkins, Galaxie 500, My Bloody Valentine, and Innocence Mission.

How can fans find you online?

sneakpeek.bandcamp.com or twitter.com/sneakpeekband

What are your hopes for the near future?

Our EP release date will be announced soon! In the meantime we will just keep playing shows around Los Angeles.

Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:

Lollapalooza celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and SPIN has a free digital download of songs from 14 top Lollapalooza performers. Visit the website and exchange your email for a copy of SPIN Presents Park Life: A Lollapalooza 2011 Mixtape.

Tracklist
1. Foster the People, "Pumped Up Kicks (Hood Internet Remix)"
2. The Chain Gang of 1974, "Undercover"
3. Ratatat, "Party With Children"
4. Lykke Li, "I Follow Rivers"
5. Patrick Stump, "This City"
6. Black Cards, "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Fame"
7. Skylar Grey, "Dance Without You (Monsta Mix)"
8. Ximena Sarinana, "Different"
9. Phantogram, "As Far As I Can See"
10. Jay Electronica feat. Jay-Z and The-Dream, "Shiny Suit Theory"
11. Black Lips, "New Direction"
12. Titus Andronicus, "A More Perfect Union"
13. The Mountain Goats, "High Hawk Season"
14. Beirut, "East Harlem"

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Pre-order Loney Dear's Hall Music and download the first single "My Heart" for free here.

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Rachael Yamagata shares "Starlight" from her upcoming new album.

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Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner is on the market again after his split from Alexa Chung [link].

Stockholm Belongs To Us - A Labrador Records Compilation

Who says the best things in life aren't free? Labrador, one of my favourite indie labels, recently put out a free compilation album. Stockholm Belongs To Us - A Labrador Records Compilation is a collection of 22 brilliant tracks from their releases from 2008 to 2011, containing names like the The Radio Dept., Club 8 and Acid House Kings. You can get it here or download using my link below.

Tracklist
1. The Radio Dept. - "Heaven's On Fire"
2. Sambassadeur - "Subtle Changes"
3. Pallers - "The Kiss"
4. Club 8 - "Dancing with the mentally ill"
5. Det Vackra Livet - "Viljan"
6. Acid House Kings - "Would you say stop?"
7. The Legends - "Something strange will happen"
8. The Mary Onettes - "Puzzles"
9. Pelle Carlberg - "1983 (Pelle & Sebastian)"
10. The Radio Dept. - "Never Follow Suit"
11. Club 8 - "Western Hospitality"
12. Suburban Kids with Biblical Names - "1999"
13. Acid House Kings - "Are We Lovers Or Are We Friends?"
14. Club 8 - "Jesus, Walk With Me"
15. [Ingenting] - "Halleluja!"
16. Sambassadeur - "Days"
17. The Legends - "Seconds away"
18. Little Big Adventure - "Happiest Times"
19. Pallers - "Humdrum"
20. Pelle Carlberg - "I Love You, You Imbecile"
21. The Mary Onettes - "Once I Was Pretty"
22. Amanda Mair - "House"

Download:
Stockholm Belongs To Us - A Labrador Records Compilation [ZIP]

Feist unveils the cover of Metals (sort of)

Fancy some colouring?

Today, Feist invites fans to unveil the cover of her new album Metals. All you have to do is download the cover art through her Facebook page and fill the colours in. Use the colour key, or be creative and make your own. When you're done, post your artwork on her Facebook wall. Word is, the chosen ones will get something special from her. We wonder what that is.

Metals will be out October 4 on Cherrytree/Interscope. Watching the video below makes us all excited about the new album.

Maria Mena: "Mitt Lille Land"

Maria Mena released her version of "Mitt Lille Land", a nod to the devastating terror attack in Norway. She had this to say: "i'm devestated! i love my country and my heart breaks for everyone involved and affected by last night's tragic bombing and shooting in oslo and at utøya. please take good care of eachother! ♥ maria." [link]

Above is a video tribute with the song.

Our thoughts are with our Norwegian friends during this difficult time.

Stream:
Maria Mena - Mitt Lille Land

R.I.P. Amy Winehouse

Troubled singer Amy Winehouse has been found dead at her home in London. She was 27 [link].

While her passing is sad (and a great loss to the music industry), it's not entirely surprising, considering she has been battling alcohol and drugs for a while now.

I'm just going to miss this talented lady.



P.S. I was a fan after I heard her song, "Fuck Me Pumps".

Download:
Amy Winehouse - Rehab
Amy Winehouse - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:

Shortlist for Mercury Prize '2011 Albums of the Year' has been released. 12 albums gunning for the top prize include:

Adele - 21
Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys!
Everything Everything - Man Alive
Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam
Gwilym Simcock - Good Days At Schloss Elmau
James Blake - James Blake
Katy B - On A Mission
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine
Metronomy - The English Riviera
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
Tinie Tempah - Disc-Overy

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Warpaint return to Singapore for a one-night only show at Powerhouse, St James Power Station on August 2. For $65, you get one free drink plus admission to all the St James Power Station Clubs after the show. Talk about killing 2 birds with one stone -- get your tickets via Sistic.

Download:
Warpaint [MP3]

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Fancy some Priscilla Ahn? On August 2, she will play at the Esplanade Recital Studio. Tickets at $98 via Sistic.

Download:
Priscilla Ahn - When You Grow Up [MP3]

Bright Light Bright Light: "Disco Moment" Video

Bright Light Bright Light's popularity has been on the rise since the last we spoke: He supported Ellie Goulding on her 2010 Lights UK tour, released his debut single "Love Part II" in September 2010, and played at SXSW 2011. And Rod Thomas shows no signs of stopping.

While he is busy putting the finishing touches to his album, we thought we would share his new single "Disco Moment" with you. It's a good ol' disco-pop song about love, loss and heartbreak. The single will be released on August 7.

SneakPeek

SneakPeek is one of those mysterious bands that you occasionally come across. They have no website, MySpace nor YouTube, just a Bandcamp page that tempts the listener to take a shot at their music.

Hailing from Echo Park, California, SneakPeak is a female-fronted lo-fi/garage/grunge/psych band partially made up of former members of The Willowz. If reverb-soaked guitar riffs and grungy sounds are right up your alley, visit the band's Bandcamp page for some goodies. Also, the band is currently recording a seven song EP that is set to release this summer, so keep them on your radar as well.

Stream:
SneakPeek

Washed Out: "Eyes Be Closed" Video

"Eyes Be Closed" is the first single off Washed Out's brilliant LP Within And Without. The video, which features model Coco Young riding a motorcycle around town, doesn't really do justice to the song (hands up if you thought it was meh).

Rilo Kiley's Breakin' Up

Anyone who thought that Rilo Kiley might be on hiatus can give up hope: The band is splitting up for good.

In an interview with Spinner, a surly Blake Sennett says:

I just felt like there was a lot of deception, disloyalty, greed and things I don't really want to submit myself to. I had related that frustration to music but I just thought, 'I'm not going to put myself in that position again,' so I said, 'Fuck that, I can't do this anymore.'

With the split, Sennett also adds that there might be a possibility of putting out some unreleased Rilo Kiley songs:

I think we're going to try and release a two-disc set of 40 songs, or something. I think that can be more considered like our last release, to me. But I don't know.

P.S. I suppose I will miss the band, for sentimental reasons. More Adventurous was one of the first few records that I listened to when I was moving away from sugary, manufactured pop songs. Even after 7 long years, "Portions For Foxes" still sounds superbly fresh to me.



Download:
Rilo Kiley - Science Vs. Romance [buy Take Offs & Landings]

Cults: "Go Outside" Video

Go Outside, by Cults from Boing Boing on Vimeo.

Cults captured everyone's attention when they posted their EP on their Bandcamp page last year. The duo swiftly rose to prominence with their lo-fi, indie-pop sound, especially the central track, "Go Outside".

Directed by Isaiah Seret, the video for "Go Outside" premiered today. The director talks about his inspiration below:

To tell the story of Cults' hauntingly beautiful track, "Go Outside", I was inspired to bring the band inside the world of Jim Jones' famous religious cult, Peoples Temple, and the eventual tragedy in Jonestown. Fortunately, when exploring the feasibility of this video I became acquainted with Fielding M. McGehee III, an expert on Peoples Temple history and the primary researcher for the Jonestown Archive. It is thanks to him and his encouragement that I was able to take on this project and through his support gained access to over two and half hours of home videos showing Peoples Temple in Jonestown. For this music video we didn't want to put a spin on the footage or the peoples lives—instead we wanted to re-tell and humanize their story. In order to achieve this we used a combination of stock footage, visual effects and other tricks to embed the band into the historical footage. This was achieved through my collaboration with my visual effects supervisor Bill Gillman and my cinematographer Matthew Lloyd. Lastly, I am moved to say when we completed the video we were able to preview it for some of the survivors of the Jonestown Massacre, who expressed their appreciation of our focus on the lives of the People's Temple members as opposed to exploiting the graphic images of the final tragedy [link].

Daily Randomness

A look at some recent and upcoming releases:

Virgin Records finally released the artwork and tracklist for Laura Marling's new album, A Creature I Don't Know. The album is due September 12, so in the interim, do yourself a favour and watch the lovely teaser if you haven't.

Tracklist
1. The Muse
2. I Was Just A Card
3. Don't Ask Me Why
4. Salinas
5. The Beast
6. Night After Night
7. My Friends
8. Rest In The Bed
9. Sophia
10. All My Rage

The album is the follow up to 2010's I Speak Because I Can.

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Blonde Redhead offers a collection of remixes of tracks taken from their last album, Penny Sparkle. They will kick off their European tour in August.

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Los Angeles-based band Snow & Voices take on The Cure's "Disintegration".

The band covered Red House Painters' "Mistress" in their third album, Anything That Moves (read my review of the album), and the recording inspired many conversations between Lauri Kranz and Jebin Bruni about the different ways a song could be interpreted or reinterpreted. The duo decided to record a series of cover songs and release them one at a time. "Disintegration" is the second installment in their covers project, with the first being Tir Na Nog's "So Freely" (released fall 2010).

Download:
Snow & Voices - Disintegration [MP3]

Sleeping In Airports - If the Bombs Start Dropping

Established in 2009, Sleeping In Airports is the Finnish collective of Tapio Ahola, Laura Ahonen and Pekka Vanajas.

Tapio and Pekka were initially part of an alternative rock group called Dawn Delayed, before they ventured out and roped in vocalist Laura to start their own band. While Tapio pens most of the lyrics, they write the songs together and have flexible roles.

Their debut, If the Bombs Start Dropping, is a 3 song digital EP released in February 2011. Their sound has been described as 'electronic, melancholic indie-pop with a certain Northern European flavour'. It feels raw to me, so they could well do with a bit more pizazz and take a cue from contemporaries like indie-electro duo Röyksopp.

What's reassuring though is the fact that the band is really in it for the music. They are not hunting for a record label at the moment and they intend to keep it that way. As Tapio proclaims, "To express ourselves through music and to have fun while doing it is enough for us."

Download:
Sleeping In Airports [MP3]

Album Review: Goodtimes Goodtimes - Goodtimes Goodtimes

Franc Cinelli aka Goodtimes Goodtimes is a purveyor of good music. This, perhaps, can be attributed to his musical background. He grew up with his mother's vinyl collection of Bruce Springsteen, The Police, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd and Bob Marley. As an adult, he plied his trade at countless shows in the UK before he made enough songs to release his first record, Glue.

Released last November, Franc's second, self-titled record sees him doling out a solid collection of folk, country and blues, drawing comparison to the legendary Bob Dylan. The album emanates a warm feel, just the kind of music you'd like to put on when you are reminiscing about the past or just shooting the breeze. I love how the harmonica and guitar-strumming builds up in "Point One", and the vocals in the background just lend a breezy and carefree feel. "Fortune Teller Song" is another song of note: It's a perky, straight-up character-driven song, a nod to 'the man who tells stories at the fairground'.

P.S. At the time of this posting, Franc just announced that he won't be playing under the Goodtimes Goodtimes moniker anymore.

Stream:
Goodtimes Goodtimes - Goodtimes Goodtimes

Album Review: Amy Regan - Gonna Get Better EP

In a market saturated with singer-songwriter types, how do you separate the wheat from the chaff?

Amy Regan, one of New York's rising talents, stands out from the crowd. All of 25, she got her break when she was discovered by a DDB-NY art director, who subsequently featured her in a Hertz commercial along with her song, "Carry On".

Gonna Get Better is a showcase of her musical leanings. The 4 track EP, released last July, contains pop songs with a dose of lyrical sensitivity. My favourite cut is the upbeat "Crazy", which is reminiscent of fellow singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles. If you like radio-friendly fare without the cheesy lyrics, Regan is definitely one artist worth checking out.

Her full-length album is due out this October.

Daily Randomness

A look at what's happening right now:

Back after an extended hiatus.

My favourite indie music festival Baybeats is back in town again! From August 19 to 21, catch local and foreign bands like Caracal, Moscow Olympics and Reza Salleh in action at the Esplanade.

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Coincidentally, government-sanctioned event SingaPop! - 50 years of pop music in Singapore will be held at the Promontory @ Marina Bay on August 20. Conceptualised by Dick Lee, this concert is held in conjunction with Economic Development Board's (EDB) 50th anniversary. 5,000 free tickets to be given away through balloting (à la NDP and HDB style). Strictly for fans of Dick Lee, Taufik Batisah, Douglas Oliverio and John Molina only.