Volcano Choir

So, I was perusing iTunes and I came across Volcano Choir, Bon Iver’s side project I had no idea he was working on until now. The music on their debut album, Unmap, definitely measures up to Bon Iver’s previous work (and, seeing as he is one of my favorites, I automatically didn’t think twice before buying the entire album). Unmap has been out for a while now, but if you haven’t heard it I highly recommend listening to “Seeplymouth”, “Island IS”, and “Husks and Smells”, they are quite relaxing and beautiful.

???

Not to slander one of my favorite artists but uh.... what the fuck? Kate Nash has been working on her new album after about two years since the release of Made of Bricks, and she just posted a free download of one of the tracks off of the new album, entitled "I Just Love You More". I was so excited to hear what she had been working on, and to be honest after I downloaded it I was left disappointed. It doesn't have that same pleasantly mundane, homey charm to it, but rather sounds like an awkward attempt at a Karen O/ Emily Haines vibe, which just isn't what I was expecting. I DO know however that the album will include a song called "Don't You Want To Share The Guilt?" which is one of my favorites of hers, so I'm not giving up hope for the new album. And who knows, maybe this song will grow on me? I'll let you all be the judge. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH5X1yvv8Eo

I'm In Love With A Little Lion Man

I feel it is appropriate, being inundated with snow and not wanting to step out in the Connecticut cold, to share with you guys a band that I have been listening to non-stop whilst lying in bed and drinking tea. I am, without a doubt, becoming absolutely obsessed with Mumford and Sons, a relative new band made up of that has swept London’s indie folk scene off its feet within the last year. This band is absolutely incredible, there's something about a great drum beat and the sound of a mandolin that I find irresistible. The simplicity of their soothing melodies and the universally lovable sound they have created makes me fully confident that Marcus Mumford and the rest of these talented musicians will have no problem making themselves a huge international success. If you are a Noah and the Whale, Johnny Flynn, or Laura Marling fan this band is definitely for you. Their EP, Sigh No More, is available on iTunes, and I believe the full record will be released in the US soon. My recommendations: “The Cave” and “Little Lion Man”.

Watch the video for “The Cave” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KkUeRPjc-Y, it is suitably as fantastic as the song itself.

A Band That Has Made Me Bite My Tongue

I’ll be honest with you, when I first saw Yacht in 2008 open for Vampire Weekend at the El Rey in Los Angeles, I thought, here we go again, another stereotypical indie duo trying to make it big by being weird as fuck with bizarre lyrics and off-beat time signatures. Sure they had clever lyrics and Jona and Claire, the band’s members, had clear chemistry, but listening to songs like “It’s Boring/ You Can Live Anywhere You Want” the first time did nothing but irritate me (sorry to sound so bitter… there’s a happy ending, I promise). It was not until this fall that I decided to go against my gut and listen to my friends who told me that they in fact did not suck, but were becoming quite innovative in their use of electronic music and in the compositions of their songs.

I stand corrected, or at the very least I am willing to say that my mind has been successfully changed about Yacht. Even they themselves say on their myspace that “current incarnation began gestating in 2008, and at this point bears no resemblance, except biologically, to the previous versions. The YACHT of 2009 is the true form of YACHT”. Alright, so the shitty phase was a gestation phase; that I can live with. It is with songs like “Psychic City”, “Summer Song”, and “I’m In Love With A Ripper” that I have gone from hopelessly pessimistic to pleasantly surprised as I dance around in my room to their clever beats and catchy lyrics, simplistic as they may be. I am glad Yacht put the impressive amount of effort in evolving their sound and solidifying their delightfully androgynous persona; it is definitely safe to say that Yacht is making waves in the indie music scene (pun intended).