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Bears, the debut album by Sam Isaac
Tracklisting:
Bears
Come Back Home Tonight
Fire Fire
Sticker, Star and Tape
Annie, Why Are You So Angry?
Sideways
Berlin
I Traded My Friends For You
Carbon Dating
Calendar
What Good Did That Do?
Apple Tree
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With the release of their second album just around the corner, Noah and the Whale have a hectic few months ahead of them.
The London four piece formed in 2006 and soared in popularity two years later after the release of their debut record Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down.
Known for their imaginative instrumental arrangements and their ability to channel a wide range of influences into their music, Noah and the Whale’s ambitious new record The First Days Of Spring sees them move away from the summery feel of their debut and take on a more mature, melancholy sound, featuring piano and strings alongside frequently reflective lyrics.
With this latest album, the band’s abundant creativity sees them releasing more than just a record. The First Days Of Spring will be accompanied by a film of the same title which puts a visual story to the music.
The First Days Of Spring will be released on 31st August. The title track is available for free download from the band’s official website.
Tracklisting:
The First Days Of Spring
Our Window
I Have Nothing
My Broken Heart
Instrumental I
Love Of An Orchestra
Instrumental II
Stranger
Blue Skies
Slow Glass
My Door Is Always Open -
He may only be twenty one years old, but Robert Francis has already been compared to the likes of Bob Dylan and Neil Young.
Growing up in Los Angeles, Francis was surrounded by a diverse range of musical influences from an early age. His father was a classical pianist and producer while his mother and sisters also had strong musical involvement. Francis was given his first guitar by Ry Cooder at the age of nine. At sixteen, he was tutored by another world class guitarist, John Frusciante, who reinforced Francis’ love for the instrument.
At the age of seventeen Francis wrote his first record, One By One, which was released in 2007. The album sees him create a sound that is well beyond his years. His often introspective lyrics portray a sense of world-weary wisdom and his ambitous instrumentation produces an innovative blend of folk and blues which is rustic yet progressive.
Not only did Francis write and produce the record himself, he also played practically every instrument he used, from guitar and percussion to piano and glockenspiel. The album’s title track One By One displays Francis at his best, featuring a cinematic string arrangement, soul baring lyrics and a vocal contribution from his sister, Juliette Commagre.
Francis is fast becoming a well respected name on the music scene. One By One was met with admiration and acclaim from fans and members of the music industry alike, gaining him greater exposure and receiving impressive reviews; not bad for a debut album recorded and released before he hit the age of twenty. Only time will tell, but it’s fair to suspect that Robert Francis has a long and prolific career ahead of him.
His new record Before Nightfall is due to be released later this year.
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Justin Vernon is a man with no shortage of creativity. His latest musical venture sees him join forces with some old friends, Wisconsin band Collections of Colonies of Bees, who toured with Vernon’s previous band DeYarmond Edison.
Collectively known as Volcano Choir, this collaboration emerged even before the rise of Vernon’s best known musical outlet, Bon Iver. The partnership promises to be a progressive move for Vernon, showcasing a more innovative and experimental style.
Volcano Choir’s debut album, Unmap, will be released in September this year.
Tracklisting:
Husks And Shells
Seeplymouth
Island, IS
Dote
And Gather
Mbira In The Morass
Cool Knowledge
Still
Youlogy -
The National have been making music together for a decade. Originally from Ohio, the now Brooklyn based five piece is made up of singer and lyricist Matt Berninger, twins Aaron (guitar/bass/piano) and Bryce (guitar) Dessner and brothers Scott (bass/guitar) and Bryan (drums) Devendorf.
The National are a band who defy the boundaries of genre. Their often melancholy sound and Berninger’s distinctive voice may have remained the same over the years, but the band have matured considerably since they started out in the late ’90s.
Their first three albums were released on Brassland Records, a label founded by band members Aaron and Bryce Dessner along with a friend. Their self titled debut was released in 2001, with Sad Songs For Dirty Lovers following in 2003 and Cherry Tree EP in 2004.
Soon afterwards, the band switched to Beggars Banquet Records and 2005 saw the release of Alligator, for which they received critical acclaim and greater commercial exposure. Their most recent studio album, Boxer, was released in 2007 and the creative process behind the album was documented in A Skin, A Night, a film by Vincent Moon. The Virginia EP was released in 2008, predominantly made up of B-sides and live/demo recordings.
The National are closely associated with Dark Was The Night, a compilation produced by band members Aaron and Bryce in aid of the Red Hot Organisation which raises funds and awareness for HIV/AIDS. The compilation featured The National themselves, as well as contributions from artists such as Bon Iver, Arcade Fire and Feist.
The band have also expressed their political voice, supporting Obama’s bid for the White House and labelling him Mr November, a reference to their song of the same title and the month in which the presidential election concluded. They also held a rally for him in their hometown of Cincinnati. Their song Fake Empire was used by the Obama campaign on a number of occasions during the election process.
The National are currently working on their new album, which is expected to be realeased early next year.
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John Frusciante may be the guitarist of one of the biggest rock bands in the world, but he also has a progressive solo career that spans two decades.
Frusciante’s earliest recording was Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt, released in 1994. Smile From The Streets You Hold followed in 1997, featuring contributions from actor and close friend of Frusciante, River Phoenix. These first two albums were recorded during a time when Frusciante was struggling with drug addicted, and the eerie vocals, out of tune guitars and haunting lyrics give the records an overtone of experimentation and self destruction.
2001 saw the release of To Record Only Water For Ten Days, which blended a more defined sound with electronics and Frusciante’s philosophical style of lyrics. From The Sounds Inside also emerged in 2001, an album released solely through the internet and made available for free download on Frusciante’s official website.
2004 was a prolific year for John Frusciante, who released five solo records in a space of twelve months. Shadows Collide With People developed the use of multilayered guitars and electronics, while The Will To Death arguably has a more guitar based focus. DC EP, Inside of Emptiness and A Sphere in the Heart of Silence followed later that year.
Curtains was released in 2005 and featured some of Frusciante’s most stripped down recordings with a mainly acoustic focus. The Past Recedes is the only song Frusciante has made a music video for, generally preferring to focus on the recording process rather than the promotion of his records.
In 2009, Frusciante’s Empyrean was released, featuring guest performances from Flea, Josh Klinghoffer and Johnny Marr. Frusciante himself suggested the record should be played “as loud as possible and it is suited to dark living rooms late at night.”
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Benjamin Francis Leftwich is pretty special.
This nineteen year old Yorkshireman, also known as Lights, has developed a sound that exists where Bob Dylan meets Bon Iver.
He’s currently recording in London so expect to hear more of him over the coming months. He’s definately one to watch.
Check him out on myspace or go see him play.
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There’s no doubt about it; Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago is a beautiful record.
Since its release in 2008, the album has received critical acclaim and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon has been catapulted into the public eye.
People love this man for his distinctive voice, his songwriting and his story. The soon-to-be-legendary tale of how he retreated to a remote cabin in Wisconsin for several months and ended up writing For Emma, Forever Ago has only added to the stripped down appeal of the record. It’s raw, it’s heartbreaking and it evokes images of a lonely winter.
But For Emma, Forever Ago was not Justin Vernon’s first musical venture. In fact, he’s already founded two bands (Mount Vernon and DeYarmond Edison) and released two solo albums which share their distinctive sound with his more recent and better known recordings.
If you’re a fan of Bon Iver, check out Self Record (2005) and Hazeltons (2006) as well as the more recent Blood Bank EP (2009).
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