Thousands is Kristian Garrard and Luke Bergman, hailing from Seattle, voice-match made in heaven I’d say.
Their debut ”The Sound of Everything” is something special. Recorded throughout the US vast pacific northwest. The record contains sounds of not only great vocals, hymnal sound and instruments, also the sound of birds chirping, leaves falling. Nature recorded on their journey to create the album that would become ”The sound of Everything”.
As Thousands themselves explain ”- We want people to listen to this with headphones on and feel like they’re immersed in these locations, and there’s us, sitting next to you, playing a song.”
This is yet another delicate example of great debut records, and another golden star in the book of magic artists signed to Bella Union.
Fleet Foxes’ guitarist Skye Skjelset, brought the attention to the label, and somewhere in the beauty of this album, there is a little fleet fox hiding away.
Listening to this, makes you feel good. It is by definition a feel-good sound throughout all 12 tracks, and it appeals to me. The way I need to feel. Kristian and Luke’s vocals are somehow mixing, melting together and gently steering the way in to the listeners heart. I am sure that it will not be long until I am driving my car to the store, humming these tunes.
Looking for something new and fresh, which will make your day just a little brighter. You might just have found it.
The Sound of Everything is a sure 5/7, and Thousands will be something to try and catch this year…
Check out more about Thousands @ Thousands.com or get a feeling of the album to come here…
The first impression of Shore To Shore is that Norman Palm is a great vocalist. Pleasant. The voice sounds like it was meant to do one thing. To sing.
My favorite track on the album is Easy. Pop, electro and stylish out in to the corners. With the right amount of bass playing in the background. This is art.
The album in its entirety is like a exhibition, in a dark gallery, you can imagine the songs as paintings. The artist Norman Palm knows how to paint a soundscape, breathtaking sometimes, enjoyable and powerful. All at the same time.
Integrating a great variety of instruments, like the guitar sound in the song smile, Norman Palm shows his width again and again.
Shore To Shore is nothing less than a 5 out of 7 K7’s. A large album. Something to write to your friends about. I am hoping for great things for Norman Palm in 2011. Which I am sure he will receive.
This Rhode Island (a sauce in Sweden, a place in America) quartet got all the checks they ever gonna need. Facial hair. Check. Lo-Fi. Check. Checked shirt. Double-check. This is an introspective, honest bunch.
Smart Flesh aint no Oh my God Charlie Darwin – the bands breakthru from 2008. Then it was a splattered Wilco/Bon Iver/Tom Waits/Fleet Foxes-vibe. This is more of a one way street, recorded in a Pastafactory with an eerie sound. Some parts I don´t understand, like the instrumental song #6 Wire. Puts my focus elsewhere.
This is a beautiful album. It´s lullabies for the people, it´s rootsy ballads, it´s that folk-acoustic music that belonged before us, long before man and his guitar. It´s the greater picture and you will have to kneel down to the power of songs like Boing 737, Hey All You Hippies and I´ll Take Out Your Ashes.
Smart Flesh is a record who needs your full attention, or it will get lost.
¤ Judge says: 5/7 Kentuckyseven´s
¤ Best track: Hey, All You Hippies
¤ Drink while you listen: Anura Pinotage Syrah (heavy, southaf, darkred)
Drive-By Truckers have three singers (Mike Cooley, Patterson Hood, ShonnaTucker) and have recorded eleven albums. Go Go Boots puts them right where I like em.
This is a step into the bona fied countrygrass, a familiar place for the Truckers yet not always their most abraded runway. It suits them perfect, like a strong cup of coffee in the morning sun.
As always you hear the roots, the Neil Youngs and the Tom Pettys, the blues, the soul and the heartland of great americanamusic. It´s a soundtrack to that movie you love. Long, slow, steelpedaltunes. Three great voices. And a couple of songs that really makes a difference.
As DBT state in the first song: “I do believe, I do believe, I do believe.”
Fair enough.
¤ Judge says: 5/7 Kentuckyseven´s
¤ Best tracks: Everybody needs love, Used to be a cop.
The high standard of bands out of Denmark the last years is tremendous. The Kissaway Trail, Oh No Ono the list can be made long. Now it is time for the world to say hello to Treefight For Sunlight.
With their first album on Bella Union, the band gives us a taste of what’s to come. The sound is sprung from bands as Beach Boys, Bee Gees, Beatles and other era-making bands. Treefight takes the sound and makes it their own, in the 21:st century-style. Harmonies mixed with melodies and dreams. My favorite songs on this album, Rain Air, Facing The Sun, and the invigorating What Became Of You And I?
This is one of those albums that will make you listen more than once, just to see if you missed anything. There is a lot to discover. To listen to again. And again. This is my kind of music.
Treefight For Sunlight is definitely a band to follow. They are bound for something big. I sure as hell hope so.
The verdict: 6/7 this is the album to buy this spring.
Listen to What Became Of You and I? Courtesy of Bella Union…
Sea of Bees is Julie Ann Bee’s musical project. And the term project is well used in describing this album.
The songs evolve, changes and comes to life when listening to them. Just when you think that you got it, it takes another path. The world of Julie Ann Bee seems to drag you with it. The mysterious, sweet and yet dark songs seem to be telling you a story. Trying to catch on, I find myself humming along to songs I’ve not yet heard. Feeling poetic yet frantic.
The single Wizbot is one of those songs that just stick. From the very first note. Bee’s voice is clear yet fragile. There is something fresh yet familiar with this album. It is a building of sound. My feeling is that I’ve just entered the lobby. But I will make it to the roof.
Feels like a record that will grow with every listening. Right now it is a 5. Thanks for the ride Julie Ann Bee.
Listen to songs from Songs For The Ravens @ Myspace
James Walbourne´s debut album hit stores Monday morning. The Londoner is out doing his legwork, supporting Justin Townes Earle on tour and in February Walbourne gets on the dusty road with labelbuddies Sea of Bees and Trevor Moss and Hannah-Lou.
Listening to James Walbourne I get a good Tim Easton slash Lars Winnerbäck vibe. It´s easygoing, free stuff yet thoughtful and willowy. My hunch says Walbourn and bandmates had a great time recording this album, you can tell just by listening to the tunes. The Hill welcomes you around for tea, the nice sort.
James Walbourne helps Chrissie Hynde out in The Pretenders. He played the guitar on iconic pianoburner Jerry Lee Lewis´ last year album. He tours with Son Volt and The Pogues. Not bad for a young fella…but listening to The Hill you know why. This is blues, countryrock and folk all wrapped up and ready to go. Me like.
Label: Downtown records. Releasedate: Jan 25, 2011
First time I heard Cold War Kids was on tv. Watching Letterman, this gang produced a crazy Hospital bed, or was it We used to vacation. Anyways. It got to me like chickenpox. Remined you I also digged the followup, not press-adored 2008 album Loyalty to Loyalty, expectations were up when I opened the box from Cosmos. And man, it blew me away.
This wonderful punksoulband from California has made a brilliant album. Singer Nathan Willett told me a couple of days ago that “We want people to dig deep in this album. It’s not an easy one, but it has a lot to offer.” True dat, Nathan. I´m hooked from the quiet beginning via the catchy Royal Blue to the best part, the last four songs who makes a fistful of greatness.
It is a different Cold War Kids album. It´s more mature and spins a lot around commitment and friendship. It´s like the wild nights caught up with the band and left them stranded with an empty bottle. On that end they found producer Jacquire King (Modest Mouse, Tom Waits) and eleven enchanting songs. Instead of turning boring they turned the corner.
Credit to drummer Matt Aveiro for the sound, the often erie beginnings and twisted ends. To me – let´s make it easy – this is a record I wanna listen to. Piling up and down in the playlist, Mine Is Yours gets stuck in playmode. I´m keeping it that way.
¤ Judge says: 6/7 Kentuckyseven´s.
¤ Best Track: Bulldozer
¤ Drink while you listen: Brooklyn East India Pale Ale
Heidi Spencer And The Rare Birds – Under Streetlight Glow
Bella Union. Releasedate 2011-01-17.
The record begins. I´m letting Heidi Spencer enter my atmosphere. She sings, with her battered, mistreated, cruel, hurting, fetching, blinding voice.
”No one need to know
We laid around all day
Let´s make up a good – alibi
Let´s take it to the grave
Take it to the moon.”
Well, Heidi had me at hello. This is a sad record, yet heartwarming. It´s like a wind that carries you on. To the next place, maybe even a better one.
It´s haunting music that keeps rolling in. The Rare Birds make a perfect terrain to Heidi´s voice. It´s all about the voice. It´s there when the drugs won´t work.
This is Heidi Spencer´s third album. It´s her first on the great indie label Bella Union (Low Anthem, Midlake, Beach House). It will make the difference. It will take this Milwaukeegirl for a ride into the charts, well deserved.
Heidi Spencer remindes me of Emmylou Harris, Tracy Chapman, Tom Petty. Whatever. She´s made a perfect soundtrack to a rainy Sunday.
I´m listening to the gutting #3 track Moth Met Spider. In the words of Kurt Vonnegut; So it goes.
Out of the awsome City Slang comes, like a fearful bat out of its cave, Tu Fawning’s first full length album.
To put in words what the sound of Tu Fawning sounds like, is like trying to throw out the christmas tree without having the floor filled with needles.
Hearts On Hold is an album that will keep you guessing. You will have nightmares, feel bliss or just disappear into the world that is theirs. The instruments, samples and vocals together blends up to something never experienced before. I got completely lost in the trumpet. There is some sense of Arcade Fireish notions hidden somewhere.
I have listened to the album a numerous times, and still it gets me. Confusing, beautiful and simple at times. It is like nothing you??’ve heard before, and still it feels somewhat like home at times.
The first track on the album will take you somewhere, thats guaranteed, just try to find out where. It’s amazing. If I ever die in New Orleans, give me a funeralband, marching and put Tu Fawning in the first line. Singing ”Multiply A House”
Hearts On Hold makes up for a strong 5/7 – Try it on, see if it fits you.
