Springtime from Erland and The Carnival’s March 2011 long-player, Nightingale, is both beautiful and eerie. Intimating darkness-even death, Erland and The Carnival highlight the darkness by the falling dirt and crawling cockroaches, blending this with a beautiful minor-key melody. Combining disparate pop and folk influences, Springtime, is a story complete with loss, longing and orchestral flare. While Erland and The Carnival have an extensive web site (social links included), there is little information about the band itself. Take a listen to this great…
Read MoreI debated awhile on adding Canadian pop band Hey Ocean to the blog. The band makes pop anthems that are decidedly likable but pretty formulaic. That said, it isn’t the first time that I’ve made exceptions for music that for some unknown reason-derivative or not-just has me listening multiple times. Here on I Am A Heart, flutist and lead vocalist Ashleigh Ball, sings “I am a heart that’s hard to pin” while band mates David Beckingham (Vocals/Guitar) and Dave Vertesi (Vocals/Bass) harmonies…
Read MoreMay I present to you the beautiful voices and gentle music of Lily and Madeleine’s Back To The River from the January 2013 EP The Weight Of The Globe. These two will cause you to float away on a cloud. Close your eyes and let your mind wander where it will. The instruments are mostly understated, drawing attention to the wonderful vocal harmonies, trills and the underlying stories. I’m looking forward to hearing more from these two in the future….
Read MoreUpdate: The video for this track is no more. There is very little out there for this band anymore. Musically beautiful and pristine, Russian Roulette from UK artists Best Boy Grip, harbors a much darker image in the lyrics. Highlighting pain and sorrow with beauty is a great bit, done very well by Best Boy Grip. There’s something about this song that gets beneath the skin. Listening multiple times is almost a forgone conclusion. I searched for the album that Russian Roulette was from, but could not find it. Best Boy Grip has two recent EP’s, Barbara (November 2011) and The…
Read MoreOn Shyboy’s (a.k.a. Jason Arnold) August 2012 single, Bird In Flight, Jason’s contemplative vocal builds on a simple melody which transforms into a grand ballad. It’s the type of song that is perfect for just about any activity. You can listen closely to grab something interesting from the lyric; You can listen passively and the song just fills your soul with goodness; You can listen actively, and the music will have you bobbing and weaving and tapping your feet. In short, this…
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