thirty seven: Library Tapes

Somewhere along the road of blog I lost an entry. You won't tell anyone though.

Library Tapes, where have you been all my life? This is the music of David Wenngren, a magical man from Sweden.

His most recent offering to the musical world is A Summer Beneath the Trees. Which breathes deeply and echoes ideas more fully developed than Wenngren has ever hazarded. Songs like The Rivers Turned To Cobblesto sound as if they've grown to fill the shape of a music hall. Melodies heighten and stretch as the song progresses further and further, it's like something from a dream.

Wenngren's music still retains a degree of melancholy present in previous albums Fragment and Feelings For Something Lost. Wenngren's music never becomes wholely major key and thus plays things in slow motion. A look, a smile, a movement all transform into something long passed when played to Library Tapes.

An example of this transformation is Fragment VIII from the album Fragment. The delicate piano repeats itself, giving the track a feeling of continuity as the backgrounded strings meander along to the melodies. The first track on the album, Fragment I (no kidding), also opens the record in this soft, slow format. The album is like a divine, luxurious lullaby.

In a turn of the extraordinary I am seeing Library Tapes with Portico Quartet on the 26th of November, and am anticipating to witness how he turns his music around into the live.

Listen to The Rivers Turned To Cobblesto here.

thirty six: Joose Keskitalo

I can't make any great claims towards trying to decipher what Finnish Joose Keskitalo is singing as he plays his folky, Gainsbourg form of music, but what I do know is that I think I'm in love.


I discovered him on Bird's Lament, a little blog from dreamland, whilst scouting for more from Alessi.

The 26 year oldsinger/songwriter has already got a loyal fanbase in his homeland, having been releasing material since 2004.

His most recent album Ja Kolmas Maailmanpalo (Third World's Fire) was released this year on Helmi Levyt records, and has thankfully been made internationally available.

Riivaajat is a dusty, wandering song that reminds of the back streets of Paris. It was also the first track I had the pleasure of hearing on Ja Kolmas... after the marching opening of Nelja Hevosta Ja Hautajaissaattue, that could up the campaign of any rebellious protestors. Keskitalo then takes it down a notch in the shape of Mennaan Ajelulle, a slumbering song that settles into your muscles and pulls you slowly down into your comfortable bed for a well-deserved sleep.

Another song that I absolutely love is Pispalan Tytto. It comes from a collaborative album called Lauluja suuren mäen alta (Great Songs, Over the Hill) choc a bloc full of rustic acousticness.

Overall I think the most appealing thing to me about Keskitalo is the sense of other-worldliness I feel when I listen to him. It feels like a new way of life, that can be a little bit backward at times.

Listen to Riivaajat here.

thirty five: Choir of Young Believers

Choir of Young Believers is the collaborative efforts of Jannis Noya Makrigiannis, Anders Rhedin, Jakob Milung, Cæcilie Trier, Lasse Herbst, Casper Henning Hansen, Bo Rande, Mette Sand Hersoug and Nicolai Kleinerman, and yes from those names I'd hope you would realise we're talking overseas here. Copenhagen, Denmark to be exact! But if we're being picky, COYB is actually Jannis Noya Makrigiannis, also part of Lake Placid.

I was originally drawn to the band when I saw them on a Chess Club flyer with Mechanical Bride and One Little Plane, I knew two of them were great, so why not add a third to that mix? COYB are pretty darn good if I'm honest. Think Fleet Foxes, Band of Horses and The National.

The first song I heard was Claustrophobia, the track that incidentally reminds me most of Band of Horses. As Jannis begins to sing "You give me claustrophobia" in an oddly timed fashion, there are waves of instruments behind him as he continues on into falsetto land. It's the first of many layered songs you are due to hear.

Elsewhere there's twinklers like ActionReaction that have the summer sheen of Fleet Foxes and gorgeous, refined choruses that resound through the air. It's like a breath of fresh air for the ears. No, really.

The thing I really like about Choir of Young Believers is the sheer variety of their music. For instance, one second it's a song like ActionReaction that dips your feet in sunshine and the next it's We Talk On The Phone, a track that really highlights the vocal talent COYB has in its ranks. We Talk On The Phone slowly moves along accompanied by a tambourine and wind instruments, creating a very natural atmosphere in the song. All this comes in lapping waves of sound before the track dips into dormancy and then surges up into a final chorus that repeats the song title simplistically.

We Talk On The Phone is a track from COYB's outstanding 2007 EP Burn The Flag. This EP includes the storming Sharpen Your Knives, which can be compared to ActionReaction in vocal stylings as Jannis and co. sing "Sharpen you knives/The fear in your fire!", and all the while there's the slam of drums peppered with outcrops of vocals haunting the listener from its depths.

Jannis offered his first LP this year in the shape of ten track, This is for The Whites of Your Eyes. Not only an imaginative title but also a critically acclaimed album. Aforementioned Claustrophobia and ActionReaction are included in the listing, aswell as single Next Summer, a song for the forlorn lover in anybody. And once again, Jannis has produced a fantastic soundscape that stirs mountains and soars across lakes with the sheer capacity of the collective instruments.
Let your ears breathe.

Listen to ActionReaction here.

thirty four: Cherbourg

Cherbourg are the reborn ashes of Davie Fiddle and the Lucky Egg. Originally I was sorely dissapointed at this very sudden news that T'Egg were gone.

But then I heard Horses.

I never imagined it would sound so. good. (Not that I was expecting something dreadful!)

At first there's an expectation for a Davie-esque vocal from Andrew Davie...but no. This time it's a slap in face cry of a vocal that makes your head spin round. There's so much strength, with each line more and more elements come out of the woodwork, not to mention the matured lyrics with a kick of imagination.

This obviously heightened my expectations for last Wednesday when I saw the reborn quartet live for the first time. And they did not dissapoint.

Along with Horses there was a myriad of similar songs, all with a unique quality of their own. For one Kevin Jones donned a drum, alerting my neural percussion system (yes, such a thing exists). I love drums, and with this added percussion I was sunk even deeper into my infatuation.

They've still managed to retain a degree of what they once were, there's still heartfelt lyrics here and there, and the boys' lovely personalities still shine through. Speaking to Andrew after the show it's hard to believe it's him behind the vocals of Horses "You've lost your only friend/You're not gonna see him again", because he's just so damn nice.

Cherbourg are planning to release on EP in early '09.

Listen to Horses here.

thirty three: Golden Silvers

Granted you've probably heard of Golden Silvers many times before, but just let me rant with a wry smile fixated on your lips...
I'd heard their name peppered around the internet and amongst the "NEWBANDOMG!" pages of magazines for many a month, thinking it was just another of those noisy techy bands we're now plagued with after last years' happenings, sighing and shaking my head all the while.
Oh the vanity.
When I finally decided to settle the issue, the first song I heard was obviously Y&LC relased single Arrows Of Eros. I was in love. Not only did it have some heavy synths within seconds of beginning but following this was Gwylim Gold's distinctive North London vocals, and yes, his second name really is Gold. Lucky bastard.

I have my fingers firmly crossed in the vain hope that all the support slots (Crystal Castles etc) they've been having recently won't lead to an influx of fans who still believe that raves exist.
They're supporting Mystery Jets on their October/November tour and released new single Magic Touch last Monday (20th) on a 7" purple vinyl. Fancy! And to add to all the metallic luvin' these boys have got it'll be out on their very own Bronze Records.

Listen to the magnificient Arrows of Eros here.

thirty two: La Shark

La Shark are the guys who make up Josh Weller's fantastic live band. This project is a whole new kettle of fish however.
The fact the five boys only have one track up hasn't stopped them from cropping up a fair few times on the blogosphere, but I haven't managed to uproot anything new on the Londonian band.
The solitary track available for streaming on their myspace, Bones, is incredible enough to make up for three or four more.
It bangs away at the drums until it's forced itself into the thisongisstuckinmyhead gland at the front of your brain, in an oddly reggae-esque way. And...the lyrics are psychic I promise, soon you'll be thinking "I can't get you out my bones/I don't know what to do!" about this very song, which is exactly what Sam Deschamps yowls, in what must be one of the catchiest choruses I've heard all year, there's also the infectious truth "I'm a skeleton!/I'm a skeleton!", that's just too damn quirky not to love.
For anyone who wants to do some detective work on these shady lads, head over to one of the many gigs in London they've got in the pipeline. I will definitely be keeping an ear out for my next sharked up fix. Nobody seems to know a thing, and I'm intrigued...

Listen and become addicted to Bones here.

thirty one: Charlot Webster

Charlot Webster is a list writer. In her band she does vocals, piano/keyboard, chord organ, mini piano accordion, ukulele, saxophone, spoons, handclaps and thigh slaps. Her band members are called David, Lindsey and Kevin.
Based in Brighton, Charlot has cosied up to fellow coast dwellers Peggy Sue, who could be considered genre mates as well.
Her voice has a warmth to it that sends you reeling back to thoughts of a war time songstress, particularly noteable on the serene Before your Love, that delicately tugs at your heart strings with strings of its own and Webster's cooing birdsong. The track wraps itself around your body and cradles you into a slumber, I'm not really sure how I've managed to resist the call of sleep so far, but this song will most likely be coming to a lullaby playlist near you.
You can hear the variety of Charlot's range in vocals on The Fire. A heated song that grows in confidence until it shouts its lungs out with "Oh-hos" and then furls back into submission.
Her music also echoes influences from Aretha Franklin and Cat Power. The trumpeteering Promised Me Gold sways beneath the atmosphere of Charlot's sultry voice with an unforgiving beauty that advises you not to cross her dark side.
Charlot Webster is dreamboat and she's waiting for you.

Listen to Before your Love here.