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raf and o | time machine


 
Raf and O’s eerily beautiful new album, Time Machine presents the unique songwriting and vocals of Raf Mantelli, that have been referred to as ‘haunting, sensual and bewitching’ alongside the black-and=blue-sound-soul-world created by Raf and Richard Smith (O). They fuse electro/ acoustic drums, self-made triggers, pads, vocals, synths, electronics and acoustic guitar to startling effect.

Building on the reputation of their first album described as ‘Really excellently knitted experimental and cinematographic world’ (De-Bug Germany) whilst ‘They display outright pop mastery’ (Flux Magazine), the two piece band employ the same set up for live performances. The songs are a concoction of emotional journeys, time travel and surreal dreams featuring eerie, magnetic vocals, gentle, at times frenetic dark guitar picking, contrasting with washes of warm synthesizers and challenged by a hybrid of electro/ acoustic drums, repetitions and glitches. Peace. Continue reading “raf and o | time machine”

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box of wolves | let’s start again | remixes


 
The brotha’ from a another far northern hemisphere. Canadian good disco citizen extraordinaire Box Of Wolves anoints our collective aural senses with a sub-zero touch. So chill. Box Of Wolves showing signs of summertime with his latest, Let’s Start Again. This one hits you with a Deep House vibe, which both harkens back to the golden days of House and reaches long and strong to the future of the genre. Check out all five sonically impressive incarnations after the jump. Good stuff for ya’ ears for sure. Peace. Continue reading “box of wolves | let’s start again | remixes”

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ben howard | ellie goulding | starry eyed love song


 
Creativity is such a wondrous thing. Case in point, Andy Smart has a knack for taking oft times divergent musical themes and melding them hip to hip. His latest amalgamation takes Ben Howard’s utterly beauteous track Only Love and delicately lays it atop the soul stirring Ellie Goulding track Starry Eyed thus creating Starry Eyed Love Song, and the results are spellbinding. Kinda like exploding rainbows and shooting stars all up in my eardrum. Plus, if you’re feelin’ it, well it is yours for the taking. Thank you Mr. Smart may I have another. Peace. Continue reading “ben howard | ellie goulding | starry eyed love song”

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coldplay | magic


 
Love Coldplay’s latest song, “Magic”! I am a long time Coldplay fan, way before Jay-Z got cool with Chris Martin. I was playing the LP Parachutes 14-years ago. And friends used to get tired of me playing A Rush of Blood To The Head on constant repeat (I even got the their concert DVD (Coldplay Live 2003). Can’t wait until the new album drops. I am working on getting an advance media copy too. Yep, I am a fan and a big music nerd. The first single from the album Ghost Stories, out 19th May 2014. Pre-order now from iTunes (and get Magic today). Continue reading “coldplay | magic”

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nathan k | most birthdays | our sunday best


 
At times songs take on a greater significance if the music is produced by someone whom you count as a friend and you really admire their undeniable artistry. Nathan K. and I first met after I Tweeted a penned response to his amazing Dishes LP (2012). Since then, we have kept in touch and the rest is history.

Now, Mr. K has gone a done it again. With the his latest song Most Birthdays which plies the deepening waters of this so-called life. And although the waves seem to engulf his personal life Nathan remains resilient and beats back despair with gorgeous and powerful song. Look for a forthcoming album in 2014. Peace. Continue reading “nathan k | most birthdays | our sunday best”

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lali puna | faking the books


 
There are those songs, which when heard again after a long unforgivable hiatus from the ears, break open a glut of moody emotion. Lali Puna where are you? The track Faking The Books is taken from the LP of the same name and was released in 2004 courtesy of Morr Music. There has been a bit of buzz circulating about possible new music, here’s to the scuttlebutt and hoping rumor becomes reality. Peace. Continue reading “lali puna | faking the books”

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talos| tethered bones

From Cork, Ireland comes a romantic heart with beard.

 
Recently, for the last few years, there as been a wave of young men showing their collective soft side. Now, to add to the batch of modern day crooners comes Talos aka Eoin French. He lays it down all romantic like, so much so it’ll be responsible for not a few nights canoodling with a special someone. So choose carefully, you don’t want to waste the track Tethered Bones on the undeserving. Peace. Continue reading “talos| tethered bones”

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pillar point | pillar point lp


 
Pillar Point‘s very first music video was released recently on Noisey, and my eyes couldn’t be more pround to be eyes. The Dreamin’ music video features a contortionist dancing through the streaming crowds of New York City, and then moves to gorgeous shots of ballet and breakdancing in a snowy countryside. Noisey calls it a “playful and beautifully shot video [that] perfectly compliments the dreamy, synth-driven track”. Watch the video below after the jump.
 

 
You can listen to and purchase their self-titled debut album at the Polyvinyl E-store. Continue reading “pillar point | pillar point lp”

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linda perhacs | prisms of glass


 
Perhaps the most inspiring and interesting story of the week comes from Linda Perhacs and her journey with music. I first heard the story while driving home from work several days ago on NPR. During the radio interview I spuriously took a voice note on my cell phone so I wouldn’t forget. Read the full NPR article here, or just watch the video for Linda Perhacs’ Prisms of Glass.

Linda Perhacs’ second album, The Soul of All Natural Things, comes 44 years after an inauspicious debut that bloomed into a cult favorite. Also, listen to two additional track, River of God and Freely. Peace. Continue reading “linda perhacs | prisms of glass”