Folkers Maia have been working hard over the last few years gigging to anybody that will have them. Their Duran Duran-gone-folk sound is as infectious as a yawn, but they’re never likely to raise one from you, and this new single is likely to gain them even more followers. Watch the video here – it’s genius in that it was shot and edited entirely using iPhones and IPads.
‘Zuma Aluma’ is released on 25th June 2012 by Vandal Records
Links:
Following the recent announcement of their new single, South London cinematic pop duo Alpines have unveiled their new video. The single ‘Empire‘, released June 11th, and the video was directed by award-winning avantgarde and art-house director Luke Losey, notable for his work with Orbital and Mercury Rev among others (including the MTV Awards nominated video for Orbital’s ‘The Box’).
Links:
‘The Lion’s Roar’ is the 2nd album by First Aid Kit, two sisters from the south of Stockholm known to their parents as Johanna and Klara Söderberg, and what a record it is. The band first shot to fame in 2008 with a Youtube cover of Fleet Foxes’ Tiger Mountain Peasant Song and in those years they’ve come a long, long way. Haven’t we all?.
The band initially signed to Rabid Records in their native Sweden to release their debut record The Big Black & The Blue. Meanwhile Witchita Records may or may not have sent a memo to their army of A&R staff to find a female version of Bright Eyes. If they did then they got what they wanted, only better.
The second album by the Söderberg sisters is a joy to behold – from start to finish. A record full of lush melodies, of charm, of eyelid flutters (vocally speaking), a record of confidence beyond their years (the girls are 19 and 22) which should have a fleeting feel to its sound but has as assured a country-folk-indie sound as you’re ever likely to hear, even from Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst, who makes an appearance on ‘King Of The World’. It’s a record that, with the held of Bright Eyes producer Mike Mogis, has made the lead from campfire guitars to a fuller band sound, compared with their debut.
Lyrically it’s on the darker side of life, or “bittersweet” as Klara (the younger of the two) likes it to be known as. ‘Emmylou’ namechecks name-checks the likes of Gram Parsons, Johnny Cash, June Carter and of course Miss Harris but it recognises the sadness in the lives and art of these heroes whilst noting that “the bitter winds are coming in and I’m already missing Summer, Stockholm’s cold but I’ve been told that I was born to endure this kind of weather”. The lyrics may sound like the tale of two downtrodden young girls surrendering to misery but there’s a lot more to it than. This record works despite those lyrics, despite the gloom and their country-inspired sound has given rise to a stoic feeling. A feeling that this won’t get them down. Watch this band soar to great heights with this album. You’ll struggle to hear a better record this year.
‘The Lion’s Roar’ is out now via Wichita Records. Catch the band on tour in November.
Links:
American-Danish rockers Giant Giant Sand (formerly known as Giant Sand) have released a free song to download, ahead of the release of their country rock opera, Tuscon, on 3rd June and frontman Howe Gelb’s performance at London’s Village Underground in Shoreditch on 31st May. The album will be released via Fire Records.
In Giant Giant Sand you will recognize the members all hailing from Denmark who have been a part of Giant Sand for the last 10 years (Thøger T. Lund, Peter Dombernowski, Anders Pederesen and Nikolaj Heyman) plus a collection of new members hailing from both Denmark and Tuscon, the place Gelb has called home for the last 40 years.
Swedish troubadour The Tallest Man On Earth has announced details of his forthcoming album and has released a track, ‘1904, available to listen to at Rolling Stone’s soundcloud page.
The album is titled ‘There’s No Leaving Now’ and will be released on 11th June via Dead Oceans Records. Recorded in his home studio in Dalarna, Sweden during the dark winter months at the end of 2011 and start of 2012, his 3rd album is at turns stark and haunting, joyous, wry or reverent, with Kristian Matsson’s wordplay and deft guitarwork front and center.
The first recordings from The Tallest Man on Earth surfaced in 2006 via a self-titled EP released on the Swedish independent label Gravitation, which was then followed by a full-length, ‘Shallow Grave’, in 2008 to much acclaim. In early 2010, Matsson signed with Dead Oceans and released his second album ‘The Wild Hunt’ and its follow-up EP ‘Sometimes the Blues is Just A Passing Bird’ which took him to an even greater audience, appearing at international festivals like Coachella, Green Man, and Roskilde as well as appearing on Later with Jools Holland, and a sold out show at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire as well as supporting Bon Iver on tour.
The Tallest Man on Earth will be touring throught the rest of 2012, heading to the UK to play various festival shows as well as a gig at the Hackney Empire on 3rd July.
Matt Norris & The Moon formed back in 2009 from the ashes of various other bands, having met at various open mic nights on the burgeoning Edinburgh folk scene. The band have spent the last couple of years honing their sound, played some pretty big support slots (including the mighty Primal Scream) and gained plenty of attention from both the press and radio stations.
This four song EP is sure to gain them even more followers. The release begins with ‘Roots Below’ which begins with strum-strum campfire guitars with solemn trumpeting over the top before building to a rousing folk-pop chorus with a trumpet hook catchier than an STI on a holiday to Magaluf.
‘Eyes of a Storm’ is a more laid-back number, begins with the campfire guitars and really stays there, adding accordian to create a warmer, oakier folk sound. ‘Shadow from the Sun’ has a more urgent pop sound with a nice bit of flute joining the party, sounding like a band driven by something. ‘The Shallows’ wraps things up nicely with more campfire strumming, value-added stings with a five party harmony of detuned opera singing (opera music’s just vowels, right?).
On the evidence of this EP MN&TM are a band to watch. Their sound is an enchanting mix of big hooks and bigger harmonies coupled with an impressive array of instruments. For fans of Fleet Foxes, First Aid Kit and Mumford & Sons this is a band for you. Watch them explode.
‘This Kingdom EP’ is released on 17th May via 17 Seconds Records
Links:
Matt Norris & The Moon Twitter
Kindness, known to his parents as Adam Bainbridge, has announced the new single for ‘House’ taken from his critically acclaimed debut album ‘World, You Need a Change of Mind’. The single comes backed with a number of b-sides and unheard mixes and we can now reveal the video directed by Adam and Dan Brereton. Have a watch of it here:
‘House’ is released on 18th June via Female Energy/Polydor Records.