de-minimis: October 2016

24 October 2016

pascal pinon - 'forest'

Saying goodnight to a great weekend with some Icelandic loveliness.

23 October 2016

lowly - 'deer eyes'

Danish band Lowly are new to me but after hearing this great track which is apparently an ode to Britney Spears I'm going to hunt out more about them.

the radio dept - 'occupied'

Listening to The Radio Dept's new album 'Running Out Of Love' is a great way to spend a Sunday morning.

21 October 2016

josienne clarke & ben walker - 'dark turn of mind'

There's really nothing finer to wind down to than some folky blues. This is just superb.

fujiya and miyagi - 'serotonin rushes'

A much under-rated Brighton are Fujiya and Miyagi. Their unique brand of English electronica really deserves as wide an audience as possible. I see they have simultaneously released 2 EPs - EP1 and EP2 and this particular track is taken from the first.

hundreds - 'spotless'

One of my favourite German bands has a new song out and a great video to accompany it. It's great to see them back.

20 October 2016

oneohtrix point never - 'animals (director's cut)'

When you get Val Kilmer to star in your music video then you know you're onto a winner. Warning though - the video has strobe lights.

erik jonasson - 'autumn falls'

Swedish singer Erik Jonasson brings us a timely Autumnal tune with a cracking guitar solo finale.

katie kim - 'some day'

Taken from her new album SALT which is available via Bancamp here is Irish singer Katie Kim with a stunning track.

cass - 'you don't see'

How about this for a tune to wake you up? It starts relatively innocuously as a piece of minimal techno but then morphs into something altogether darker.

cyané - 'stand sol'

Here's a fantastic musician who is completely new to me, Cyané, who hails from Guadalajara in Mexico. Her sound is similar to the more experimental downtempo electronica of Bjork, Goldfrapp, PlanningToRock and that ilk. This musician deserves as wide an audience as possible.

the wands - 'faces'

Some great new psychedelia here from one of Denmark's finest bands.

19 October 2016

the lemon twigs - 'as long as we’re together'

Yup, I get why there's so much hype. It's a hell of a tune.

tall tales and the silver lining - 'unknown forces'

There's something of Avi Buffalo about this LA-based band. It's a great sound if you can capture it well and this is particularly true with Tall Tales. This is the title track from their EP.

jabberwocky - 'photomatron'

It's an oldie but still a goodie.

julia jacklin - 'same airport, different man'

I am mightily impressed with Julia Jacklin's new album. One for Lana Del Ray fans, for sure.

17 October 2016

zero 7 - 'speed dial no. 2'

A sublime tune to help wind down of an evening.

helado negro - 'lengua larga'

I must have written it dozens of times but Bandcamp is just about my favourite music website. I love the ethos and the variety of music on there. Here's another fairly well-known artist who is happy to keep a Bandcamp page and I've got to say, the new album is an absolute joy.

16 October 2016

blind pilot - 'joik #3'

Last one from me for a bit so let's leave with a great song from Oregon indie-rockers Blind Pilot.

de la soul - 'pain (feat. snoop dogg)'

I've found their new album a huge letdown with very few discernible tunes on it, instead a rambling mess that's neither one thing nor another but this is the one track from it that shines.

stephen steinbrink - 'absent mind'

The levity of the tunes belies an album that deals with a lot of tough subjects - addiction, mental illness and you can't help but warm to this fantastic album.

drive-by truckers - 'filthy and fried'

I think this might be the first time that I've blogged about this particular Southern Rock band. I must confess that I find a lot of their music washes over me without much of a trace but this particular track certainly hits the right spot.

the amazing - 'perfect day for shrimp'

The great music continues. The Amazing's new album 'Ambulance' is a melancholy delight.

fort frances - 'i'm building a wall'

This tune is quite apt given the upcoming US elections.

benjamin francis leftwich - 'summer'

Benjamin Francis Leftwich's album 'After The Rain' is something of a slow-burner. I've had it some time but have only recently come to appreciate just how good it really is.

charles x - 'can you do it?'

So damn funky.

shonen knife - 'tasmanian devil'

Possibly Japan's greatest ever rock band are still playing it loud and proud. Their 2016 album 'Adventure' sees no relenting in their domination of the Japanese music scene.

hunter/game - 'the path'

And now for some minimalist techno, taken from their album 'Adaptation' here's the sublime Hunter/Game.

billie marten - 'emily'

A British talent as prodigious as Laura Marling, Billie Marten's new album 'Writing of Blues and Yellows' is a collection of tunes whose maturity makes an absolute mockery of the teenage Ms Marten. This song is a particular favourite of mine.

hoops - 'gemini'

This was a Bandcamp recommendation and looking at their feedback, are a band that are surely destined for great things. They are an Indiana band that play a lovely synth dream-pop, perfect for lazy Sundays.

omni - 'eyes on the floor'

If you're a fan of Devo, Television and that ilk then I think you'll love Omni, their 2015 album 'Deluxe' is packed with great late 70s riffs and even the production sounds retro.

sarathy korwar - 'indefinite leave to remain'

Sarathy Korwar is a Siddi, originally Bantu tribespeople brought to India as slaves and he combines the musical traditions of his ancestors together with Sufi and Western Jazz to bring a remarkable and unique sound.

woodkid and nils frahm - 'winter morning'

Two of my favourite pianists/composers around are Nils Frahm and Woodkid. Together they make such uplifting music that it's impossible not to be moved.

ttng - 'coconut crab'

Another band whose ill-advised choice of a band name has almost certainly cost them commercial success. It's great to see them revert to the initials (I shan't say what they were called but a quick google will give you the answer) and hope they go from strength to strength. This particular track is a quirky number with lots of little stops, starts and wonderful cameos. Love it.

drowners - 'dreams don't count'

Taken from their 2016 album 'On Desire' this is the New York band at their very finest.

gold panda - 'stolen phone'

Have Gold Panda ever released a dull track? I don't think so; I love the understated but beautiful approach to their music.

beyond the wizard's sleeve - 'black crow'

An album that has paradoxically won a lot of critical acclaim but yet still seems to have slipped under the radar for a lot of people is the Beyond The Wizard's Sleeve 'The Soft Bounce'. If you haven't heard it yet then you really should get around to it.

lewis del mar - 'loud(y)'

A great way to spend a Sunday afternoon is listening to the new Lewis Del Mar album.

14 October 2016

house of wolves - 'bandcamp'

If you listen to just one new album on Bandcamp today then please make it the eponymously titled 'House of Wolves'. Blues-y Americana never sounded so good.

two door cinema club - 'are we ready (wreck)'

If first songs on an album are anything to go by then Two Door Cinema Club's new album 'Gameshow' is bloody fantastic. Talk about up and at 'em, this track demands attention.

douglas dare - 'new york'

The new Douglas Dare album 'Aforger' is a work of pure beauty. Kind of pitching itself somewhere near Crybaby vocals-wise and a bit like Woodkid on the instrumentation it's got a jazzy, lo-fi electronic feel to it that just grabs you by the lapels and insists you listen.

josefin öhrn + the liberation - 'endless ocean'

For all those who are still bemoaning the loss of Fever Ray and PlanningToRock, both of whom seem to be missing in action then the new album by Josefin Öhrn might just tide you over for some time to come. The whole album is extremely dense with psychedelic influences, bits of Suicide, Portishead and so much more.

stina nordenstam - 'so this is goodbye'

I miss Stina Nordenstam so much. I hope she returns to the recording studio one day.

12 October 2016

paul simon - 'wristband'

I gave his 2016 album 'Stranger To Stranger' my first proper listen on the commute home tonight and it's an instant hit. He's still got lots of influences from African music but there's a bit more variety to this very strong album - a bit of funk, a few slowies, some acoustic tracks, instrumentals, Latin, African, a folky blues tune titled 'Duncan' that is very retro Simon and Garfunkel sounding and is quite glorious. I really do like this album a lot. I might ask for it as a Christmas present as I would love to have this on CD - I only have a digital copy presently.

This tune 'Wristband' is probably my fave on the album. I'm expecting a few remixes of this to appear soon.

10 October 2016

sälen - 'iilwmbf'

I think I've found my new favourite thing. I can't get this tune out of my head, it's just bloody brilliant. Apparently they are from East London although they have a huge Scandinavian feel to them with huge nods to bands such as Little Dragon. Seriously...have you heard a better tune today?

05 October 2016

alcest - 'eclosion'

I'm a bit of a sucker for shoegaze albums and so I can heartily recommend the new album 'Kodama' from French band 'Alcest'. This tune in particular rocks like nobody's business. Great stuff.

01 October 2016

regina spektor - 'black and white'

I'm greatly enjoying listening to Ms Spektor's new album on this rainy October morning. It's certainly a bigger sounding album than I was expecting, it sounds like she has a full orchestra in there at times.