de-minimis

11 May 2016

the limiñanas - 'malamore'

It's great to hear full-blown psychedelic pop every once in a while and the title song from their new album is an absolute treat. I can't recommend this highly enough.

10 May 2016

françoise hardy - 'si c'est ça'

Let's finish tonight with a French pop classic from 1966. Wonderful!

I think her latest album 'Hopelessness' is by far her most accessible in years and I'm so pleased that the subject matter for the tunes has moved away from the personal to the world at large. That's not to say that I don't think that the personal matters are/were important but that it started to pigeon-hole everything about Anohni. There's plenty of great tracks on this latest album and I'm particularly taken with the last song. It's incredibly uplifting and poppy and I'm a sucker for both of those adjectives when it comes to music.

james blake - 'i need a forest fire (ft. bon iver)'

I've had a preview copy of the new James Blake album and I've been giving it some listening but I must confess it can be a bit much all in one go. It's relentlessly a break-up album and the idiosyncratic singing style can get a bit much on an album with 17 tracks. I'm not trying to downplay how good it is, it's excellent, it's just that for me I can only take so much in one go. Here's the brand new video for 'I Need A Forest Fire' taken from the upcoming album.

marissa nadler - 'all the colours of the dark'

Taken from her new album 'Strangers' this is, so far, the stand-out track for me. I've only given the album a few listens so this may change but whichever track I prefer it's great to see her back.

09 May 2016

cool ghouls - 'here today'

Recorded for Stereogum as part of a Beach Boys 'Pet Sounds' tribute ahead of the Levitation Festival, this is quite an excellent cover. You can read more here.

guided by voices - 'my zodiac companion'

It's a very short opening track from their new album but by jiminy it's damn good.

nick cave - 'suzanne'

My all-time favourite musician covering my all-time favourite songwriter. Is there a better line in music than 'Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water'?

04 May 2016

dj dusty - 'the rain fell up'

This track suits the weather perfectly. A very summery track from last year. The perfect chill out.

curtis mayfield - 'mighty mighty (spade and whitey)'

The incomparable Curtis Mayfield was a big part of my morning commute and this track especially set me up for the rest of the day.

24 April 2016

hanne kolstø - 'this town (ost and kjex remix)'

This is a lovely smooth remix of a favourite Norwegian singer of mine.

22 April 2016

globelamp - 'controversial/confrontational'

I am going to try to catch her when she plays Brighton next month. Her sound is quite simple but at the same time that's not quite true because there's an awful lot going on underneath the surface, difficult to describe but so effective. It's a sort of psychedelic Toyah/Lykke Li hybrid, intriguing and quite beautiful.

east of my youth - 'lemonstars'

It's been out a while but the band and the tune are new to me. It's a lot less folky than a lot of Icelandic music I've been listening to recently, it's described as 'future pop' and that's a new genre to me - I'd describe it as pop but with techno/dance roots. Either way, it's lovely.

brian eno - 'fickle sun (iii) i'm set free'

Brian Eno covers the Velvet Underground's 'I'm Set Free' taken from his upcoming album 'The Ship'. I'm not sure what to make of this but then again I never quite what to make of any of Eno's music. It is all so ambient and understated that it does have a habit of washing over me. This version has a little bit more meat on the bone and does sound a little like a Beach Boys album filler but even so, it doesn't inspire me. Sorry Brian!

erik jonasson - 'like a funeral'

I'm a sucker for a sultry piano ballad so no surprises that this has been on repeat for the last hour. His voice reminds me of Woodkid in his more reflective moments and that can't be a bad thing. And guess what....he's also from Gothenburg! What a city!

new found land - 'chateau'

Gothenburg has been a fabulous source of great bands and I'm glad to have discovered yet another superb talent. New Found Land aka Anna Roxenholt has released her latest single and it's a great 80s-tinged tune that hints at a lovely power ballad but she keeps it strictly pop.

18 April 2016

death in vegas - 'soul auctioneer'

Featuring the dulcet tones of Bobby Gillespie. The Contino Sessions is a marvellous album.