Music Is Forever

'Music is forever; music should grow and mature with you, following you right on up until you die.' ~Paul Simon

I believe it is simply time for another assortment of music madness before the weekend, enabling you to sit inside while it rains (or suns) and simply listen, rather than having to deal with that whole 'outside' thing...

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Two brothers who used to play with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver form Megafaun, a group that revels in the current wave of lo-fi folk rock that sounds so beautiful in so many settings. A lazy weaving of sounds and vocals make up the laid back but sumptuous sound that Megafaun project, apparent in the likes of meandering 'Lazy Suicide' and the contemplative nature that lies at the heart of 'Kaufman's Ballad'.

They have two fantastic albums out and are touring relentlessly this year around the USA and I have my fingers crossed they will return with a new album and a few dates in the UK sometime soon!

Megafaun's Myspace

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Radiant Dragon is a pretty awesome name. And not a bad musician from all I have heard. It is rare for an electronic musician to catch my ear but his atmospheric indietronica is perfectly pitched using instruments and software to create tracks that must be heard through headphones without distraction, allowing for the immersion that they richly deserve. Somewhat cinematic and completely drenched in a layer of pop that shines through the wandering beats, bleeps and hums that make up the music of Radiant Dragon. Check out the peaceful momentum of 'Frost Satellite' whose pace allows you to drift away for some time, in a state of alternative bliss.

Radiant Dragon's Myspace

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Only one song to listen to but its a gorgeous one. The sweetly named Kisses are a LA duo who have appeared with a song titled 'Bermuda'. The track and sound hints at disco, electronica, chillwave, indie and pop, bouncing along all-too-merrily on a wave of joy. It truly feels full of summer sun and makes me long to find a beach to dance to this song upon. A few DJ sets in London are tentatively set but I urge this group to bring out a few more tracks and get a live show on the road (to my road please...).

Kisses' Myspace

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Anais Mitchell has created a simply brilliant Folk opera titled 'Hadestown' described as "the story of Orpheus and Eurydice set in post-apocalyptic Depression-era America." The record tells the story with different musicians as different characters, including Justin Vernon, Ben Knox Miller and Ani DiFranco. Standout tracks include 'Way Down in Hadestown', 'Wait For Me' and the awesome 'Wedding Song'. Check it out at Myspace before you buy the record!

Hadestown's Myspace
Hadestown Website

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The maturing musical moreology (more crap basically)...

• Haunted Stereo are a lovely set of Southampton folk musicians who have released a bunch of beauteous EPs over the last couple of years and have a double A-Side on the way on Sotones Records, 'On A Pin/Lock The Door', out 17th May (but check out some of their previous work here).
• Summer Camp are an indie pop band with secret identities, appearing on myspace with a handful of simply wonderful tunes such as 'Ghost Train' and little else. A blog full of pretty, old pictures is run by them and they seem to be playing sporadic, secret shows here and there....Listen.....
• Check out 'Night Animal' from the Finnish, indie pop band Burning Hearts...
• I love Ben Gibbard (musically) but I hate Ben Gibbard (due to his current fiance)...here's some of his music, well a cover of someone else's music....
• Music related by the weakest of links, Bill Murray is a GOD! Hanging out with Wu Tang and bartending after SXSW....
• And finally, the biopic that needs to be made...WEIRD: The Story of Weird Al Yankovic

Albums out over the next week or so that you should buy include;

• 'I Will Be' by Dum Dum Girls [grrl-gaze awesomeness that howls along]
• 'Go' by Jonsi [pure and unadulterated dreampop from the frontman of Sigur Ros]
• 'Down The Way' by Angus & Julia Stone [folky acoustic pickings accompanied by soft, tender vocals and strings that melt hearts...]

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I shall be updating in time for Day Of Eating Chocolate Eggs and will be venturing to Nottingham before then to attend the Student Radio Award Conference, so wish me luck in meeting Huw Stephens and falling in love with him!!

Ta Ta my lovelies!!
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How To Join A First Rate Yucky Cult....

'I like any reaction I can get with my music.' -Jim Morrison

My body is aching and dying thanks to something called 'exercise' that I decided to partake in yesterday, and my muscles are realising the effects of such actions this beautifully terrible day. Hopefully music, musicians and more music will alleviate my pain somewhat, as well as, maybe, a bit of alcohol and junk food. Allons-y!

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I am going to try and avoid making puns with an excellent band recently discovered via other blogs, First Rate People. An old school soul ethos (with a gorgeous sample of The Stylistics) mixed with alt rock, that feeds a musical hunger I never knew I had. 'Orion' and 'Girls Night' are endlessly listenable popping and bopping modern pop songs that stretch across genres effortlessly, similar to Dirty Projectors. Check out this first rate band (damnit...) RIGHT NOW!

First Rate People's Myspace

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Want an awesome free EP by an awesome new band?

Yes I hear you scream at your monitor?

Well, here you go: head here and listen away... http://cults.bandcamp.com/

Cults are a band without a myspace and with an un-google-able name but gosh darnit, they make some good indie pop. Drenched in the 60s and urging me to go to New York sooner rather than later, their sing-along style on the likes of 'Go Outside' pulls the corner of your mouth into something of a smile whether you want it or not. 'Most Wanted' resembles a lo-fi outtake from a Phil Spector production. Simply lovely...

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A few years ago, in my younger days (ahh), I fell for a band called Cajun Dance Party, a riotous indie party band whose yelping, youth and vigour matched my own....
Now, after splitting up, members of the band are back with a more mature, shoegazey project known as Yuck, emitting a beautiful mixture of fuzz and murmuring. 'Georgia' is slightly 1990s, slightly euphoric and completely compelling. A myspace player full of awesome tracks makes for a day spent repeatedly clicking, so set to it!

Yuck's Myspace

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Continuing the cacophony...

• Joanna Newsom is simply wonderful and any who says otherwise has probably never heard of her. Her new album has been out for a couple of weeks and here she is enunciating amazingly on Jimmy Kimmel in the US. I want to kiss that mouth...
• Yo Gabba Gabba is THE most amazing kids show in existence. Previous guests have included Mark Mothersbaugh and The Shins. Now we have Weezer as giant bugs, Of Montreal helping make upset tummies better and, best of freaking all, Mos Def as a superhero....fuck Postman Pat....
• A lovely bit of psychedelia indie from Neon Indian via his first release since their awesome album 'Psychic Chasms'. Tis called 'Sleep Paralysist' and is not too shabby.
• RIP to Mark Linkous, and whilst I knew little about him and his work before recent events, I have now chastised myself for not listening to Sparklehorse in the past and if you havent', push you to listen to 'Happy Man' as a starting point...
• Sigur Ros' frontman is know working as Jonsi and this epic blast of his ability is worth a few hundred listens atop a mountaintop at least; 'Tornado'.
  

Albums out over the next week or so that you should buy include;

• 'Volume Two' by She & Him [gorgeous indie pop from one gorgeous indie popstar and one pretty cool indie folk minister]
• 'The Big To Do' by Drive-By Truckers [Melodic southern rock stylings]
• 'Under Great White Northern Lights' by The White Stripes [live recorded DVD & CD of the iconic modern rock duo]

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Happy Weekend Everybody!!
(oh and say hello to all of your lovely mothers for me!)
Ta Ta!
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