James Vincent McMorrow has been one of my more consistent spins this year, since I first heard his stunning tune, “This Old Dark Machine“. Despite that, I’ve only just realised that I’ve never posted about the guy on here, which is crazy.
So here’s a handy excuse to get that first post up: James has just premiered the official video for the disconcerting “Sparrow and the Wolf”; another cracker song off his debut album, Early in the Morning. Watch below.
As recently hinted at, I’m quite excited about the new Bon Iver album. And this first single, “Calgary,” has left me no less excited.
It hints at the new direction that Justin and Co. are heading in (and in fact recalls some of the older DeYarmond Edison sounds for me, actually)… and is the perfect teaser for the upcoming album, Bon Iver, due out June 21.
You can preorder the album here, but in the meantime, enjoy the free (for an email address) download of the track below.
The best albums, in my opinion, come out of nowhere. When you enter the studio with some vague form of inspiration, but very little actual material. It’s just an incredibly free process. Which is why it’s no surprise to me that the first single from Zach Rogue’s new “Release the Sunbird” project – called “Always like the Son”, off the upcoming album “Come Back to Us” – is such joyous listening.
The press release says that Zach had no idea what was going to happen in the studio when he went in. He just knew that after four albums and near constant touring for Rogue Wave, he wanted to try something different. And you can honestly hear that exploration taking place in this tune. It’s a song that hearkens back to innocent times, and just what I need on this Saturday morning.
French duo Herman Dune’s new single – “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know” – is a kick ass tune. But it also has possibly my favourite music video of 2011 so far. Watch below as a hitchhiking blue yeti and Mad Man Jon Hamm start up a beautiful friendship.
Way back in 2007, when I wrote my “30 South African Bands you NEED to hear!” post, there was a handful of bands that inspired the post in the first place. Just Jinger, Max Normal, Perez, Springbok Nude Girls… and Plush. You can click on through to read more in that post, but to cut a long story short, here’s the important bit from the post that you need to know about Plush…
Plush were an acoustic rock band based out of Cape Town, comprising of Rory Eliot and Chas Smit. Together they were described as “so unbelievably tight that they sound as though they are one masterful musician, playing two guitars, with four arms and one almighty voice“. Plush were everything I had been waiting for. They wrote songs that spoke to you. Welcomed you in. Sat you down with a beer, and lent a sympathetic ear for all your hurts. They played the soundtrack to your life. Plush, in my opinion, had the potential to be the best thing out of South Africa. Ever.
Plush’s rocket ride to stardom ended tragically when Smit was killed by a drunk driver when attempting to cross a street in Pietermaritzburg in September 2005.
For a taste of what Plush had to offer, the tune below, Erla, was off their debut LP, “All That Is Should Be”, from 2004. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more confident, full debut.
I don’t think any other death in my “musical life” played a larger part than Chas’s. I knew the guys, tangentially, from playing a few of the same festivals as them. We shared one or two of the local bars as regular gig venues, and – looking back on it now – were probably more contemporaries than I ever really knew. But to me, Plush were just something bigger. They were the guys who were going to show the rest of the world everything that South Africa could do. So when Chas died, a little bit of that hope died with me.
Rory, the other half of Plush continued playing as “Rory Eliot & The Reason”. And his stuff was good, but never quite hit me like the old Plush stuff did. But over the last few years, Rory’s started up “Plush” again, with new band members Carl Wegelin and Emelio Gassibe.
Anyway, all of this is a lengthy preamble to say that Plush are just about to launch their new, self-titled debut. And I’ve just heard their lead single, Dancing in a Storm.
And I got that good old “Plush” feeling again… and I’m sitting here, transported immediately back to simpler times.
In all that time, William’s bared his soul numerous times. But I think this tune, “Beautiful Girl”, from his latest album, “Gold in the Shadow” (out last month) is possibly the most fragile I’ve ever heard him. And it’s simply… well, beautiful.
The thing is, I have so much respect for the dude, that I was just really hoping on hope that his next album would be something I could get into again. So when I popped Lost River into my player, a smile spread right from ear to ear; because I knew that this was the album Syd and his compatriots, Patrick Thomas and Lisa Piccirillo, were meant to make. Finally.
Right from the very first track (the foot-tap inducing “Train Whistle”), Lost River is an album that you can’t help but connect with. Syd, Patrick and Lisa bring so many different facets to it, I’d be amazed if there weren’t at least two tracks on here that you didn’t feel were written by someone just like you (except maybe smarter).
I won’t let this become a track-by-track type review, because too many of these songs personally connect with me, and it would be a silly kind of review (in fact, in my view “Figueroa” is the only misstep of the 12 tracks on the album). Suffice to say though, that I really, really like this album. And it’s like your favourite band shirt that only becomes more comfortable with each wear… it’s that kind of album.
I’ve embedded two tracks below, and if you like what you hear, then head on over to their bandcamp page where you can purchase the full thing.
Listen. Love. Support.
Also, just as a sign of how friggin’ cool these people are… while playing out at SxSW this year, dude took some time out to send a postcard, all the way to Australia, to say thanks. How many bands take the time these days to do something that awesome? Not many. So thanks, Syd, Patrick and Lisa… you put a smile on my face, and some tunes in my bones. Here’s to a long relationship ahead.
51 seconds was all it took for Justin Vernon and Co to excite me about the new Bon Iver album.
Due out in June, I simply can’t wait. Listen to 51 seconds of pure anticipation below.
