kodaline - one day
i've said it many times before, but these irish lads are near perfect with their catchy guitar based tunes for the masses. their current single continues to spread their talents and hopefully a US successful crossover that i swear is just around the corner.
beck is back! and he's put together a lush album of 'california' inspired mellow jams that is just perfect to lose yourself to. the album 'morning phase' only took 3 days to put together, but at least 2 years to perfect. listen to the perfection from the examples below!:
timeflies - all the way
made up of producer rob resnick and vocalist cal shapiro, timeflies has put out a perfectly catchy folkie guitar/edm/pop number that has strong top 40 radio potential (and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that!)
sohn - artifice
hot singer/songwriter/producer sohn changes the pace from his previous releases and introduces a more upbeat sound for the masses. with his debut album 'tremors' just around the corner, this is definitely one of the acts i'm pleased to have been buzzing about for the past few months!
the dodos - fools [link 2] the dodos - jodi [link 2] [when a acoustic folk guitarist merges with a drummer learned in west african beats, you end up getting the band the dodos. with a sound that almost seems like they're trying to match up their supposed divergent backgrounds, the band manage to find a wonderful melodious, yet erratic, center for each tune they write. who knew san francisco could produce something so normally right coast? can't wait to hear the rest of their album 'visitor' next month!]
sophie ellis bextor - today the sun's on us [link 2] sophie ellis bextor - today the sun's on us (richmann radio remix) [link 2] [easily one of the best pop songs of the summer, this track slowly crept on me over the past few weeks and is now lodged on my ipod repeat. my feelings for sophie ellis bextor has always been a mixed bag since i feel she is only as good as her last single. in this case, i feel like the tune is kind of a pop classic and the fact that video director sophie muller creates yet another batch of interesting images, (retelling a modern day bonnie & clyde story) is pretty all around cool. btw, i've thrown in the equally lovely richmann radio mix for your pleasure!]
[we got a taster of this beirut song last week thanks to a lovely live cover version performed by final fantasy. turns out owen has an even bigger connection to this song as he's not only offered up backing vocals but string arrangements to this here studio version.
and oh, what a song it is. all the wistful elements of beirut swoon throughout, as castenets, warm horn sections and vocal harmonies drift plentifully. is this the best tune from his upcoming album the flying club cup ? i'm not quite sure (just got ahold of the album today), but it's definitely the song that i've listened to the most. beirut is back and this wongie is a happy camper!]
[i don't know what the UK is putting in their water for the past few years, but they seem to be coming up with one sweet white soul r&b influenced artist after another. the latest US airwaves ready act is 25 singer/songwriter jamie scott. though his debut album was due for release back in 2005, things got held up indefinitely when his label was caught up in a merger and he had to wait out his contract in the process.
but good things definitely come to those who wait because the boy is not only signed with a new label, but the same kind of care taken to build label mate james morrison's career is being set for jamie scott his band, the town. check out the gorgeous harmonies in his latest single... sigh, can you tell i'm already won over!]
jamie scott & the town - weeping willow
[less poppy as the current single, but this showcases jamie's talented vocal abilities... i'm a fan!!! if you like what you hear, pre-order his debut album park bench theories now!]
jamie scott - smile (lily allen cover)
[a lovely cover, but what the heck is he doing in the middle of a rocky field?]
this is just plain GORGEOUS! a gentle round of a tune that slowly evolves into an epic soulful plead (with lush strings and all!) if the rest of sia's upcoming album some people have real problems is like this one, then i think we have a contender for one of the best album of 2007!
(thanks to rollingstone.com for the pic) common feat lily allen - drivin me wild [link 2] [it would take a smart man like kanye west to think up a collaboration between lily allen and rapper common. the ingenious meeting is just one of the many guest artists featured on common's latest album finding forever. besides lily, will.i.am, d'angelo, the late j dilla and kanye all make killer apperances. i've always had a soft spot for this handsome rapper and i can't wait to see him in the video for this!]
kano feat kate nash - me and my mic [link 2] [kano (aka kane brett robinson) is a semi-pro british footballer who spun off into the uk rap scene back in 2004. though his debut album home sweet home sold a respectable number of copies, kano delved back into the underground scene honing his craft and only releasing mixtapes sold at gigs. in september, kano returns with a bang with his new album london town. featuring a slew of collaborations including craig david (see video below) and damon albarn (gorillaz/blur) we bring you the most likely 2nd single in which current uk IT girl kate nash does the vocal honors. personally, i love how she just kind of bops around during this live performance. oh kate!]
kano feat craig david - this is the girl (acoustic) [link 2] [damn, that craig david sure did bulk up! personally, i think the studio version isn't as good as this acoustic version. isn't filtering a wonderful thing?]
glen hansard & marketa irglova (once) - falling slowly [link 2] [no surprise here (since i bring up the movie every few weeks), basically an official video was made for this song and i thought i'd post it. funnily enough, when i do listen to the soundtrack i fall instantly into my 'sigh' mode. it's so cheesy, but i can't help it.]
tiny dancers - hannah we know [link 2] tiny dancers - bonfire [(this song is a bit old, but i've just discovered it!) any band that writes such fun catchy melodic songs from watching movies and dancing to disco during rehearsals deserves to be heard! surprisingly rooted in 60's beach boy harmonies with a bit of country rock thrown in, tiny dancers have a sound that manages to draw you in instantly. can't wait to check out the rest of their just released album free school milk!
stephanie dosen - this joy [link 2] [i came across this video totally by accident (but i'm so glad that i did!). stephanie dosen makes the kind of atmospheric acoustic music that relishes in layered vocals, creates dreamscapes and reminds me of my college years when chilly climes were great for listening to this stuff (yes, i was a dramatic college student in new england) currently making some waves in the uk, let's hope their hype will bring her some much buzz back on home turf. the debut album lily of the spectre is out now.]
i have to admit that sometimes even I'M overwhelmed by the amount of one name bands that the UK seems to throw at us every week. since hype is their middle name (especially on that NME), many of these acts kind of blend together in the end, crossing each other out.
such was the case with the cribs, a group consisting of brothers gary, ryan (twins!) and ross. already on their 3rd album men's needs, women's needs, whatever (you see, that's how far off my radar they were!), the alex kapranos (franz ferdinand) produced collection is a wonderfully catchy release that finally broke through my barrier. better late than never, check out their awesome 1st single below:
newton faulkner - dream catch me [link 2] [a much better full-sounding pop release than his debut single 'i need something', i still can't get over the fact that this singer/songwriter is a brit! now if he'll just cut that nappy hair and US crossover success will be imminent.]
soko - i'll kill her [link 2] [oh the wacky world of french folk music. add a total ingenue sweetie with an angry internal monologue and you get one of the cutest broken heart anthems of the moment. personally i just love how soko pronounces the title as "i'll keeeeeeel her". check out a live performance (facing a mirror and all!) then if you dig what you hear, why not buy the ep from itunes here. thanks to diplo's blog for the tip!]
the new pornographers - my rights versus yours (legal mp3 yo!) [imagine my happiness when i discovered that one of my favorite canuck bands are not only releasing a new album, challengers in mid august, but as a bonus to fans, you can also download their 1st single for free! with neko case back in harmony with the boys, this song is just plain joyful!]
