Album of the Day: alt-J - An Awesome Wave

Should I call them delta? alt-J? ∆? I don't know. I know it's pretty awesome though - stick with it for the first few songs. It has echos of Fink, maybe a little B. Fleischmann/Electric President/The Antlers melancholy, a dash of folk, and clever, clever songwriting. Highly recommended - I've had it in regular rotation for a while now.

Album of the Day: Lost in the Trees - All Alone In An Empty House

Lost in the Trees isn't an easy band to categorize. Wikipedia settles for "an American orchestral folk pop band" which is amazingly awkward. From the stunning, unnerving and haunting title track to the beautiful contemporary classical found in Sketch mvt. I&II, this is a record which deserves your full attention - I mean really listen, not have it on in the background as you go about your day.

In a 2010 SXSW interview the lead singer lists among his influences Beethoven, Radiohead, Vivaldi, Neutral Milk Hotel, Saint-Saëns, and OutKast. I can see that. The band takes all that and produces its own rich, deep, and rewarding brand of, ahem, "American orchestral folk pop".

Album of the Day: Michael Kiwanuka - Home Again [Disc 2]

This is a 2-CD release and CD 1 is a typical retro soul album with early 70s strings, flutes and all the trimmings. CD 2 features some of the same tracks but with less instruments thrown in and I think it makes the guy's voice come out beautifully.

Oh go on have the first album as well. For comparison.

Album of the Day: Iron & Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days

Sunday chill time - something calm, relaxing, and laid-back. The track "Cinder and Smoke" is on my all-time favorites list.

Album of the Day: The Wooden Birds - Two Matchsticks

Something nice and easy to start off the week with, I think. Fuck Mondays. Fuck 'em right in the ear.

Playlist of the Day: The Beta Band, We Miss You

These guys by rights should have been as massive as Radiohead, if you ask me. Instead they broke up. I never even got to see them live! Gah. Steve Mason has gone on to a solo career and several of the others are now playing in The Aliens, and in both you can hear echos of the Beta Band; well worth a listen to too if you haven't heard them before. Anyway, enjoy some of my favorites of theirs.

Album of the Day: The Modern Lovers - Live

If this doesn't cheer you up you have a hole where your heart is supposed to be. Really, you should get that checked out.

 

Rating: *****
Comment: Instant cheer-up.

Album of the Day: Isbells - Stoalin'

Another Belgian band - a very different one from dEUS which I posted about two days ago but in its own way just as good. Gentle, wistful, restrained, Stoalin' is beautiful and sometimes haunting, sometimes uplifting, but always immensely enjoyable.

 Rating: *****
Comment: I think I said it all in the post.

Album of the Day: Gravenhurst - The Ghost in Daylight

Today's album is Gravenhurst 2012 The Ghost In Daylight, and what an album. Haunting, beautiful, driven. There isn't a song on this album I don't like, and I can listen to several of them over and over and over. And I do. Good stuff.

Rating: *****

Comment: I could have this on repeat all day long

Album of the Day: Rue Royale - Guide to an Escape

Today's record is Guide To An Escape by Rue Royale, a husband-and-wife team. I saw them on tour and was instantly hooked. Good stuff.

 

Official website

Rating: *****

Comment: Not a bad song on the album