Back in 2009, I often frequented My Space's Transmissions. Transmissions was a great series of studio sessions by various bands. Unfortunately, Transmissions is no longer being produced. One great discovery for me through those sessions was my introduction to the Swedish band Miike Snow. At the time, Miike Snow had just released their self titled debut album. It was a great album, but one that I really appreciated after watching them perform live.
Miike Snow, the self described "Three Headed Band with the One Man name," has said that the studio is their home. On their first album, you could certainly tell that this was the case. As a band with a strong electo-pop, dance music sound, the songs felt more constructed than created. While they were very successful and engaging, they sounded fairly sterile and lacked what I can only describe as a heartbeat or warmth. Then I saw the band perform a handful of their songs on their Transmissions' session. Same songs, very different feel. In this live session, the songs popped, and took on a completely different life. I was hooked. That was two years ago.
Now after more than a year in the studio, the band is back with their second album, Happy To You. From the opening moments of the first track, Enter The Jokers Lair, one gets the sense that this is going to be a very different album from their debut. The band had said that writing and recording their debut album had come in fits and starts. Lead singer Andrew Wyatt said "Nobody really had any expectations with the first album, We knew we wanted to make a record but we didn’t know anything beyond that." In order to ensure that their second album was not simply an "accidental album," the band moved to Stockholm and into their own studio to focus on the creative process.
Once in the studio the band said that the songs came thick and fast as they worked together, and alone, and in rotation. Band member Christian Karlsson said "We passed the torch in a different way this time. We were working on more than one song at a time, and working together on everything. I liked that – then you’re able to experiment when no one else is around. I’d get there in the morning and Andrew had been there all night, and I could continue. Then when I leave he comes back… It definitely changed the dynamic of the songs and the songwriting.”
Another change in both the songwriting and recording process was the inclusion of an arsenal of instruments and musicians, including string, brass, and woodwinds. The result of experimenting with new sounds and instruments created what the band called a "ceaseless sense of adventure" to the album. "Organic meets electronic, whistling meets raving, and no guitars allowed."
Enter The Jokers Lair
Getting back to the band's Transmissions' session....what I loved about that session can be felt throughout this new album....there is warmth...and depth. Happy To You is a fully realized creative achievement for the band with songs that are big, bold, playful, and sonically expansive. It not only makes for a wonderful listening experience, it make me really exciting to see what the band will do next. This is definitely one of my favorite albums of the year to date.
The Shins, Port Of Morrow It has been five years since The Shins released their last album. During these years, James Mercer, the driving force behind the band, has been quite busy with a number of projects including Broken Bells, his collaboration with Danger Mouse. Back with a new band line up, Mercer's music has never sounded more poppy or his lyrics so understandable (if that is possible). The combination makes these songs catchy and some of the band's most approachable. While I thought that the band's last album, Wincing The Night Away, was the pinnacle of the band's efforts to date, Port Of Morrow, is a welcome addition to their collection and should not be missed. Simple Song
The Lumineers, The Lumineers
With the help of band's such as Fleetfoxes, Neo-Folk Rock has found a wide audience over the past few years and it has become incredibly popular. I for one could not be happier about it. It has allowed a band like The Lumineers to get some well deserved attention. This trio from Denver, CO is set to release their self titled, debut album on April 3rd. While I hate using comparisons when talking about a band's music, one cannot help but hear a little bit of The Head And The Heart and The Tallest Man On Earth when listening to The Lumineers....and that is not a bad thing. Like those bands, there is such life and warmth to this band and this collection of songs. They just crackle with a wonderful energy. Dead Sea
Tanlines, Mixed Emotions When Tanlines' album Mixed Emotions was featured on NPR's All Songs Considered, I will admit that I paid it little attention. Why? I can't say. Perhaps I was just distracted at the time. But then I listened to the album a week or so later, not realizing that it was the same band and album. And a funny thing happened. I really enjoyed it from start to finish. Electro pop with a wink to the '80's seems to be everywhere these days. Some of it is good, take last year's album Zonoscope by Cut/Copy. A lot of it is problematic for me for many reasons. Jesse Cohen and Eric Emm, the duo behind Tanlines, fall into the first category. The two really know how to craft great songs that are both smart and fun to listen to. Brothers
Andrew Bird, Break It Yourself I have been an admirer and fan of Andrew Bird for years. With each new release, Bird, a mult-instrumentalist who is classically trained, mesmerizes with his intricately built songs and music. Layering violins, guitars, whistles, and vocals, Bird creates wonderful and whimsical symphonic landscapes that cross musical boundaries to create his own unique space. Sometimes, I admire Bird from afar, appreciating what he is creating, but not quite able to get 100% behind what he is doing. Other times, like with his latest release, Break It Yourself, Bird captivates me, and I can only sit back and give him my undivided attention. I just love this release and think that it is one of his best albums to date. Danse Caribe
Carolina Chocolate Drops, Leaving Eden
How does a band top a Grammy award winning album (Genuine Negro Jig) that was a darling of critics and listeners alike? For the Carolina Chocolate Drops, they continue to do what they have been doing so well since 2005, which is paying and playing their respects to old time string music. On their latest release, Leaving Eden, the band once again shines with a new collection of original and cover songs. While there is quite a bit that I can say about the new album, I thought that I would let the band's Rhiannon Giddens and Dom Flemons do the talking. Here is a great interview they did with NPR's Scott Simon last week. Country Girl
Bowerbirds, The Clearing I know that Bowerbirds are technically categorized as a folk band. But on their latest release, The Clearing, the duo of Philip Moore and Beth Tacular have moved their music beyond a plain where it can be easily categorized.....and this is a great thing. Always wonderful storytellers, Moore and Tacular embrace bigger and more adventurous arrangements on The Clearing which not only enhances their songs, but helps bring a new level of narration to their stories. I had read that The Clearing reflects the best and most important moments of Moore and Tacular's lives after some significant challenges. Listening to it, you can feel and sense their journey to reach these moments and it makes for an absorbing listening experience. Tuck The Darkness In
White Rabbits, Milk Famous White Rabbit's last album, It's Frightening, was one of the more memorable releases of 2009. Produced by Spoon's Britt Daniel, it was a heavy percussion ladened effort that paid dividends for the development of the band's sound. Back with Milk Famous, White Rabbits does not so much dial back on the percussions, as they take what the learned on their last effort, and use it to color and texture this new collection of songs. It makes for a more subtle usage of percussions, resulting in music that feels more relaxed and sophisticated. I think that Milk Famous is a great follow up album and I am glad that the band did not try to repeat what they did on It's Frightening. Heavy Metal
Damien Jurado, Maraqopa The Seattle Times recently named Damien JuradoSeattle's folk-boom godfather. This title is a bit lofty, but well deserved. Since the mid 90's, Jurado has been enchanting the city and independent music circles with his wonderful lo-fi and hi-fi recordings. On his tenth album, Maraqupa, Jurado once again does not disappoint. Picking up musically where he left off on his last album Saint Barlett, Jurado moves to a darker space with a subtle but noticeable edge. This slightly altered space lends some additional weight to Jurado's lyrics and creates a different kind of emotional connection between his music and the listener than what I have experienced on past recordings. While Working Titles, maybe my favorite song on the album, Nothing Is The News, cannot be missed. Nothing Is The News
Yellow Ostrich, Strange Land In December of 2010 I stumbled upon Yellow Ostrich's first album, The Mistress. A truely independent effort by Alex Schaaf, I was mesmerized by his complex vocal arrangements and the minimal and spatially interesting music. By the time I had an opportunity to interview him, he was already altering his sound with the addition of musicians Michael Tapper and Jon Natchez. Now, after a big year of touring and national exposure, the band is back with a new release, Strange Land. Once again, minimalism and space are esencial elements of their music. What has changed is that this minimalism has been applied to vocal layering that dominated The Mistress. This lack of layering of Schaaf's vocals allows the music to behave differently than it did on The Mistress. It makes for some wonderful interplay between the music and vocals and proves that sometimes less is more. Daughter
Josh Ritter, Bringing In The Darlings
I had written quite a bit about Josh Ritter's new six song EP, Bringing In The Darlings, and then decided to delete it all. If you are familiar with Josh Ritter, then you know that he is one of the most gifted songwriters of his generation. From one album to the next, Ritter's words and music reminded us of his talent and thoughtfulness. Bringing In The Darlings is simply a stunning collection of songs that is a must have for anyone who has every enjoyed his music...frankly this is a must have for anyone who enjoys....music. Why
In 2009, Speech Debelle's debut album, Speech Therapy, won Britain's Mercury Prize for best album of the year. Now Debelle is back with her second album Freedom of Speech.
Where Debelle turned inwards on Speech Therapy, putting her personal life under a microscope, for a kind of self diagnosis, Freedom of Speech is squarely focused outwards.
Speech Debelle, born Corynne Elliott, has been an outspoken advocate for environmental causes and women's rights, including gender equality in Britain and abroad. Over the past few years, Debelle has been involved with the User Voice campaign, an organization for supporting disadvantaged youth, Oxfam, the Hope Not Hate campaign, the Care campaign, and has served as an ambassador for UN women. Her work also includes writings, such as A Woman's Woman's Woman's World,written for the Godmothers Campaign. Now on Freedom of Speech, Debelle uses her artistry to advocate for all those that don't have public voices.
Debelle has called Freedom of Speech a "sonic declaration of independent control over rhyme and reason" and a "celebration of female power and identity." The album is packed with stories and imagery as she takes on social and environmental injustices. She has said that the songs on Freedom of Speech are freer and less self-conscious. "I needed to express myself in a new way and this is where I am now."
In some places on the album, Debelle can be controversial, such as on the song Blaze Up A Fire. On it, she takes on urban rioting, such as the ones seen last summer in London, from the standpoint of the rioters. She has said that the song was not mean to condone their actions, but to attempt to be a voice of understanding for how they have come to such a place. Debelle wrote about the song, "People have asked why they are destroying buildings and property from their own communities but they look at them as just buildings that do not belong to them, and never will. Only people who cannot envision a positive future will take part in the destruction of their own community and if we acknowledge that, then we need to ask the question why somebody so young feels they have so little to look forward to? I cannot allow myself to de-humanize these kids and see them as my enemy."
Blaze Up A Fire
I'm a big fan of Speech Debelle and I think that Freedom of Speech is step in the right direction for her as an artist and activist. With its thoughtful lyrics, rhythmic raps, great beats, and grooving music, this album is both thought provoking and entertaining, and one of my early favorites of the year. I'm With It
Field Music, Plumb XTC is one of my favorite bands of all time. There was so much to love and admire about the band's creative approach to making music. Every song and every album made you pay attention to what they were doing. Field Music, the brother act from Sutherland, England fall into a similar creative bucket as XTC and may just be the most interesting band, creatively speaking, in England right now. Listening to Plumb, I felt like I had been handed an invitation to go into the minds of these two musicians as they were conducting a grand experiment. As David and Peter Brewis play with every aspect of their music, timing, sound, space, and styles, I found myself engrossed in Plumb. And like with XTC, every song made me sit up and pay attention. A New Town
Bahamas, Barchords Last year I fell hard for Afie Jurvanan's debut album Pink Strat. So much so, that I had to track him down for an interview. Now Jurvanan, who records and performs under the name Bahamas, is back with Barchords, the follow up to that great album. It is another fine album that picks up where Pink Strat left off. Jurvanan's music has a relaxed and breezy way about it and the general mood of both albums reflects this. What separates Barchords from Pink Strat is the way in which Jurvanan stretches musically. His songs here have a bigger and richer sounds and Jurvanan shows us just a little bit more of his wonderful talent as a guitar player. Lost In The Light
Chairlift, Something
The first time I listened to Something, all I really heard was what I perceived to be an '80's knock off album by bands like Ah-Ha. But on my second listen I was able to take the album on its own merits and found the pure joy of Something. Caroline Polachek and Patrick Wimber, the duo behind Chairlift, definitely have a strong affinity for the synth pop from a few decades ago, but by paying it with respect, they are able to take the best of what that music represented and give it a contemporary twist. This album really charmed me and while it made me a bit nostalgic for the music of my youth, I chose to listen to Something one more time instead. Wrong Opinion
Islands, A Sleep & A Forgetting Islands wrote that their new album is "a bummer of a record, pretty much the whole way through. Do you like to commiserate over things that go sour in your life? Do you feel better when someone pours their heart out on wax? Cool." Nick Thorburn and the band were being a bit cheeky when they wrote this, but lifting the title of the album from a William Wordsworth poem, you know that there is seriousness behind them. Thorburn's lyrics, if read on their own, might actually take the wind out of your sail, but the beauty of this album is how he wraps them in music that is so warm and comforting, he makes you feel like everything is going to be just fine at the end of the day....and I can live with that. This Is Not A Song
What I love about music is its power to transport me. Sometimes it’s unexpected, sometimes it’s exactly where I want to be. A single melody can unlock memories I didn’t realize I still carried, while certain chords or lyrics take me to another time or place. Some songs feel like home, offering shelter, while others deliver me to an unknown place or space, stirring emotions I can’t quite name. In this way, music isn’t just sound—it’s a sonic subway, delivering me to a station of refuge or one I never knew existed.
Music has always been an important part of my life. My family and friends knew this well, often asking me what I was listening to and what I liked. It was always humbling to be asked, and eventually, I gathered the courage to create this music blog—to put into words what draws me to certain music and why.
Over the years, my passion for writing has grown, along with my excitement for sharing musical discoveries. I hope your time here sparks excitement and leads you to a musical discovery of your own. More than anything, I hope your visit brings a little joy to your day.
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