Like a warm cup of java on winter day, Agnes Obel fills up a gloomy day with delicate guitar sounds and her warm voice on “Brother Sparrow”.
You can catch Agnes Obel at SXSW: Saturday March 19, 7:30PMSt David’s Historic Sanctuar

Agnes Obel – Brother Sparrow

Just So – Agnes Obel by [PIAS] Recordings

BIO:

Play “Just So” to anyone in Germany and they’ll tell you it’s the music from the Deutsche Telekom television advertisement. Which it is. The kind of exposure many an artist would die for. Well not literally, obviously. Or the kind of publicity an independent spirit might agonize over, venturing into the commercial arena.

I can’t help feeling that Agnes Obel is not going to have her feathers ruffled by something, in the greater scheme of things, as inconsequential as a song placement in an ad. Yet is not intriguing how a few bars of music can seep into our consciousness and set us off wondering where they came from?

This facebookish world of ours offers us the illusion of getting to know people we don’t really know. Who their friends are and what they like. Agnes Caroline Thaarup Obel likes Alfred Erik Lesley Satie and Sonic Youth. Debussy and Dylan. Hitchcock and PJ Harvey. But what people like is not necessarily the same as what he or she is like. Clues, perhaps, but as fans of Hitchcock well know, not every clue leads you where you think it might.

Hitting a perfect mix of indie/alt pop mixed with electro/dubstep is Conner Youngblood, an artist based out of Dallas Texas.  On this track Conner sounds a bit similar to TV on The Radio infused with some electronic elements. This track is one of the best things that has hit my inbox in weeks, so thank you Conner and keep it up.

Conner Youngblood – Monsters

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Jango

Solo debut from Radiohead drummer Philip Selway was just releases this August.  Familial, is the title of the album.
The track is disturbed and creepy, much like the album art, with its broken loop machine sounds and whispered vocals.

Has a Feist feeling to the track, but infused with a bit more jazz.  One thing is for sure, i’m a sucker for whistling in a track and the cello that shows up mid way through the track sets the mood perfectly.

Kacey Johansing – Oh Brother

I would love to do a remix of this cover.  This is a cover of an Animal Collective track called, “My Girls”.  Taken by Trees is the moniker used by Victoria Bergsman, whom you might recognize as the voice from Peter Bjorn and John’s, “Young Folks”.  The instrumentation on this track reminds me of Vampire Weekend.

This latest release from Patrick Watson & the Wooden Arms is intoxicatingly beautiful.  To get a general sense of style, you could cross Antony Hegarty with Nico and be pretty close to the mark.

Patrick Watson & the Wooden Arms – Man Like You

Remember Drivers Education in High School, and being subjected to video tapes that were produced in the 1970′s and the audio tracking on said videos always sounded wonky — not to mention just straight out weird?  We’ll upon first listen to Bibio’s latest release, “Vignetting The Compost”, that was the first image that popped into my mind and made me smile.  That alone is worth a post in my opinion.

Bibio fuses folk sentiments with soundscapes and dashes of electronic elements.  This album is ripe for spring, the songs on this album just brim of sunshine and rolling grassy hillsides.

Bibio – Great Are The Piths

Nothing like a indie folk pop track to produce a disturbing video — of course, I kid.   But in all seriousness, this is truly a striking and delicate piece of work.

Damien Rich – 9 Crimes

This indie folk track features gorgeous, soothing vocals from Loren Radis, lead singer and songwriter of Each Passing Day. This track is taken from their debut album, “Welcome Home”.   I found Loren Radis on thesixtyone.com and was blown away with his warm and lush vocals and great covers he has posted there. Head on over to the bands website where there just released a new FREE download this week, “Skin“.

Each Passing Day – Barefoot

last.fm bio:

Each Passing Day was formed while it’s members were still in high school, though only recently have they begun playing out and focusing on music as something more than a hobby. The California based trio plays a refreshing blend of folk and rock, something like a cross between Iron & Wine and Death Cab for Cutie.

Loren Radis is the Singer, Songwriter and Guitarist, while brothers Matt and Dan Schmitz add Drums and Bass guitar respectively. The three have been friends since Jr. High and playing music together almost as long. Loren’s been the primary writer since the start, but only in November of 2006, when his girlfriend of five years left him, did he begin to write in earnest.

“My songs originally came out of a need to express how I felt, and music was the only way I could do that. They helped me through a really tough time, and if they can do that for someone else in some small way, then I’m happy” – loren

Inspiration for their debut album, “Welcome Home”, comes almost exclusively from romantic sources. Whether it’s sappy love songs like “Homesick” and “Butterflies” or the sorrowful kiss-off of “The Show”, it’s evident that Loren pours his heart into every track.

“Listening to “Homesick,” a track off of Welcome Home, the soon-to-be-released CD by Each Passing Day, it’s easy to hear why the track won top honors at the West Coast Songwriters Competition Grand Finals in Berkeley a few weeks ago. Penned by Each Passing Day’s chief songwriter and SLO County native Loren Radis, the tender ballad paints a soul-drenched narrative whose power is hard to deny. It’s the second award-winning track by this young composer.” – Glen Starkey, New Times SLO

Also, among my favorites is a track called “Homesick” — here’s a video for a live performance of that track:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t70eqEjAQSQ

Sparrow House is the occasional side-project for Jared Van Fleet (guitarist/keyboardist for Voxtrot).  Like  a brisk, relaxing fall day, Sparrow House is exactly what the doctor ordered.   I’m a sucker for anything that sounds like it could be included in a Wes Anderson soundtrack, in particular The Royal Tenenbaums.  This could have easily fit the scene where Richie Tenenbaum (played by Luke Wilson) attempts to commit suicide.  Don’t let that last sentence throw you off — it’s meant as a compliment.

Sparrow House – When I Am Gone

Been following String Fellow Hawk (aka Dexter Cabellon) for about a year now, and when I initially heard his music it was very raw but powerfull.  I love his vocal style and musical sensibilities.  Posted below are two tracks that are in the indie acoustic vein — think Bright Eyes meets The Moldy Peaches.

String Fellow Hawk – Move Along

String Fellow Hawk – A OK
For all those that perfer Jolt soda over Coke, be sure to Check out Dexter’s pop rock’n'rollin’ band “Lavendi”.  www.myspace.com/Lavendi

From their forthcoming EP titled “Another World”, comes this very heart felt song by Antony and the Johnsons.

Below is the press release:

Antony and the Johnsons emerged onto the international stage in 2005 with their breakthrough I Am A Bird Now. The group were awarded the Mercury Prize in the UK and toured the world. Since then Antony has participated on tracks with Bjork on her latest album “Volta”, appeared in the Leonard Cohen documentary “I’m Your Man”, featured as vocalist with disco act Hercules and Love Affair, recorded for the Todd Haynes bio epic of Bob Dylan “I’m Not There”, and collaborated with Charles Atlas on a European tour of their stage spectacle “TURNING”.

Now Antony and the Johnsons have emerged with a new album, ‘The Crying Light’ which will be released January 21st 2009. “Another World” is the first single, and it will be released as part of the five-song Another World EP which is being released on October 7th.

On “Another World”, Antony sings of a disappearing world. The EP also includes “Shake That Devil”. Part exorcism and part Shangri La, Antony calls out shape-shifting perpetrators and banishes them one by one. Two other songs, “Crackagen” and “Sing For Me” are pastoral and surreal. Finally the epic “Hope Mountain” closes the EP, an episodic narrative set after a flood; people gather on a mountain to witness the emergence of a luminous girl.

The cover features a portrait of Japanese Butoh co-founder Kazuo Ohno, taken by Pierre-Olivier Deschamps in 1984.

Antony and the Johnsons  – Sing For Me

(track removed by request)

Somewhat of a cross between The Beatles (think White Album) and Creedence Clearwater Revival with a slight dash of The White Stripes lands Golden Animals.  Tommy Eisner (Electric Guitar/Vocals) & Linda Beercoft (Drums/Vocals) sounds can be best described as Jangle guitars, Beatles-esque vocals, and a laid back vibe.

Golden Animals – Do The Roar

Band Site: http://www.happypartsrecordings.com/artists/goldenanimals.html 

History lesson of the Day: The Microphones/Mount Eerie

In addition to Mirah, Khaela Maricich was also a one time member of Portland Oregon based band The Microphones (aka Mount Eerie). Kheala now performs under the moniker of, “The Blow” with Jona Bechtolt (aka YACHT).

Khaela Maricich is also a visual artists and her latest musings can be found on her blog here.

The Blow – True Affection

21 year old Santa Fe New Mexico native Zach Condon otherwise known as Beirut release a beautiful album this year entitled, “The Flying Club Cup”, which is named after a “hot air ballon festival in Paris”. This track combines elements such as Eastern Euro and folk sounds with playfulness and heart.

[audio:http://www.audiodrums.com/audio/02_-_Nantes.mp3]

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Multi-instrumentalist hailing from the California with a soulful voice and a haunting violin. Vocals remind me of Frou Frou lead singer Imogen Heap mixed with Psapp instrumentation.

Emily Wells – Mt Washington

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