Laura Marling - "Master Hunter"

It is so good to hear the Bob Dylan influences in one of the voices leading the new generation of folkies or nu-folk. If you can't hear the Dylan influences on "Master Hunter" you better go back and listen to some old Dylan again... although, that's not punishment, you'll thank me. Anyway, back to Laura Marling, she has just (this week) released her 4th album 'Once I Was an Eagle' and it took me by surprise. After a Spotify listen it quickly became clear that this album is a keeper. The first four songs blend into each other like a 16 minute epic... or taken as a whole album, maybe a saga. Overflowing with heartbreak and introspection, 'Once I Was an Eagle' is a very personal album from an artist with a maturity way beyond her 23 years.

Wampire - "Orchards"

Polyvinyl is a small independent label with an impressive roster of artists including Japandroids, of Montreal, Casiokids and Sonny and the sunsets, to name a few. They have lots of cool vinyl releases available at their website as well as downloads. A recent release is the debut album 'Curiosity' from Portland duo Wampire. The harmony heavy "Orchards" has a dream-pop feel to it and it isn't a bad introduction to their music. Vonderful!

O Superman - Laurie Anderson

How about another unexpected hit. "O Superman" was a hit in 1981 for experimental performance artist Laurie Anderson. It wasn't the production values or even the catchy tune that won people over... more than likely the lack thereof.

The Flying Lizards - "Money"

The Flying Lizards took on the punk ethic of DIY... but may have forgotten to buy proper instruments and if they had a budget it was more than likely spent on a round at the pub. Ironically, their cover of Barrett Strong's "Money" earned them lots of the stuff. It was an unlikely worldwide hit in 1979... quite impressive really when you consider that this was a time when overproducing was the norm.

Sprengjuhöllin = "Ketrum yfir Ísland"

Sprengjuhöllin are an indie-pop band from Iceland. "Ketrum yfir Ísland" is from their 2007 album 'Timarnir okkar' - an album full of wonderful pop moments. "Ketrum yfir Ísland" is upbeat and very uplifting.... even considering the language barrier. The best pop-folk band you've never heard of.

Sarah Silverman talks about her Paris Hilton joke

When are the Sarah Silverman Program reruns going to return to Comedy Central?

Cloud Nothings - "Stay Useless"

Cloud Nothings are an indie-rock band from Ohio. "Stay Useless" came from their 2012 album 'Attack on Memory' and can still be heard on Bitter FM regularly. Engineer Steve Albini has certainly helped them with the heavier sound they were after for this record.

Kammerflimmer Kollektief - "Aum A Go-Go"

My latest obsession, thanks to emusic, is Kammerflimmer Kollektief. I've just downloaded their 2010 album 'Wildling' and on the strength of it, I'm sure the others will follow. The sound of Kammerflimmer Kollektief is jazz based but with an experimental electronica twist. "Aum A Go-Go" is a 'Tortoise' sounding jazz instrumental that finishes with some abstract vocals.... like no other abstract vocals.

The Drive-By Truckers with Kelly Hogan - "I'm Your Puppet"

The Drive-By Truckers with Kelly Hogan is a live combo I would want to upsize. I've already seen her live as part of Neko Case's band and she is an outstanding singer with plenty of personality. The Drive-By Truckers would be a band I wouldn't miss if they ever made it to this part of the world. The live audience here were in for a real treat when she joined them for a countryfied version of the soul classic "I'm Your Puppet."

Say Lou Lou - "Julian"

"Julian" is the second single from twin sister act 'Say Lou Lou' and it is quite addictive. They have some retro elements but the chorus is pure dream pop of today. The cover artwork even reminded me of something.

Public Service Broadcasting - "Spitfire"

Public Service Broadcasting are a London based duo who sample old films, archive footage and public information films with their style of electronica, which features real instruments, including drums, instead of the usual computer based beats. Their debut album 'Inform - Educate - Entertain' has only just been released and it is something special... and definitely lives up to it's title.



Here is another song to Inform - Educate - Entertain.
Public Service Broadcasting - "Everest"

The Mockers - "Forever Tuesday Morning"

Today was a case of "Forever Tuesday Morning"... marginally better than Forever Monday Morning. Actually, my Tuesday was fine, I just needed a song for today's post and that's all I could come up with. Although, I have got a little bit of trivia to add - Andrew Fagan, the lead singer from The Mockers, is now a talkback host. So he now could be experiencing "Forever Tuesday Morning" for real.

Victor Borge

Victor Borge was the man that gave us "Phonetic Punctuation". He was a born performer and entertained audiences for more than 75 years. Here is one of his later routines.

Escondido - "Black Roses"

I was at the local bar the other night and someone happened to say "there is such a great variety of music out there now and we can access most of it instantly - but what is missing is something that blends Mariachi, by way of Morricone with Calexico, by way of Mazzy Star, but in a surreal David Lynch style" and the place just went silent... there was a sense of loss in all of us. After about a minute of silence someone from the other end of the bar shouted "have you heard of Escondido?"... priceless.

The Phoenix Foundation - "The Captain"

The Phoenix Foundation have a new album 'Fandango' out now. And as I would have said about their last one... it's their best yet. They never fail to impress their legion of fans (okay, the number of fans may be small but they are extremely cool) with albums that reward them more and more with each listen. "The Captain", the first single from Fandango, is a synth-pop song for people who don't like synth-pop... maybe.
Actually, this song reminds me more of 'My Morning Jacket' than any other artist - but best of all, it still sounds very much like The Phoenix Foundation.

Capital Cities - "Safe And Sound"

Los Angeles indie-pop duo Capital Cities released this catchy little gem "Safe and Sound" in 2011 as a single from their self-titled EP. Their debut album is released in June and a fantastic video for "Safe and Sound" has surfaced very recently.... so don't be surprised if this song is released as a single again to promote the album. It does have 'hit' all over it and the video may be the difference this time.

Savages - "Shut Up"

When I first heard "Shut Up" by English band Savages I was amazed. How could a band sound so new and expressive in their own right - but also sound so much like Patti Smith, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Joy Division? It's like 1979 was just last year.

Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger - "This Wheel's On Fire"

Bob Dylan has many great songs... far too many to list. The Dylan covers are much the same.... practically a category of their own. One of them is Julie Driscoll and Brian Auger's version of "This Wheel's On Fire" from 1968.

The Uncluded - "Delicate Cycle"

When the Moldy Peaches went on hiatus in 2004 - I didn't really take much notice of the solo material from the two main members, Adam Green and Kimya Dawson thereafter. However, just recently Adam Green collaborated with Binki Shapiro for the brilliant 'Adam Green and Binki Shapiro' album. And now we have an interesting collaboration between Kimya Dawson and Aesop Rock. They are performing under the name 'The Uncluded' and have an album 'Hokey Fright' coming out very soon. If it is anything like the single "Delicate Cycle" it will be a must-have. For best results - play it loud and don't forget the fabric softener.

Artists United Against Apartheid - "SunCity"

First there was "Do They Know It's Christmas" and then the Americans had their own anthem for Africa "We Are the World" and finally Little Steven and just about every musician in the world (in 1985) had an anti-Africa anthem. The protest was against artists who chose to perform at South Africa's SunCity resort while South Africa continued with their apartheid policy. Less than a decade later the country couldn't have been more different. Check out what Little Steven did before the Sopranos and have a laugh (and cringe) while picking out all the others.