We've Got It Covered #96

I am sure that most of you are already aware that the inaugural longlist for the Scottish Album of the Year Award was announced this week and I think it's safe to say that the list took quite a few people by surprise. To be honest with you I don't really know what I was expecting, but from the 20 albums that made the long list there are a few that I was genuinely surprise to see on there and a whole lot more that I had plain old never heard of. I guess it's the eclectic nature of the list that makes it seem genuinely interesting. In case you've not already seen the list, it looks something like this:

6th Borough Project - "One Night In the Borough" 
Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat - "Everything's Getting Older" 
Bwani Junction - "Fully Cocked" 
Chris Stout's Brazilian Theory - "Live In Concert" 
Conquering Animal Sound - "Kammerspiel" 
FOUND - "factorycraft" 
Fudge Fingas - "Now About How" 
Happy Particles - "Under Sleeping Waves" 
Jonny - "Jonny" 
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - "Diamond Mine" 
Mogwai - "Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will" 
Mungo's Hi Fi - "Forward Ever" 
Muscles Of Joy - "Muscles Of Joy" 
Remember Remember - "The Quickening" 
Richard Craig - "Inward" 
Rustie - "Glass Swords" 
Steve Mason & Dennis Bovell - "Ghosts Outside" 
Tommy Smith - "Karma"     Twin Atlantic - "Free" 
We Were Promised Jetpacks - "In The Pit Of the Stomach"

 As with all of these kind of awards it's inevitable that folk will gripe about what did and didn't make the final list. But having seen first hand how much hard work Stewart Henderson (Chemikal Underground/The SMIA and the driving force behind the awards) has put in behind the scenes in trying to encompass all of the various factions of the Scottish music scene, I reckon he's done a cracking job in pulling all of this together.
If you compare the final 20 choices with the top 20 albums chosen in last years BAMS Award, there are four albums in there that were in the BAMS top twenty: "Everything's Getting Older" , "Diamond Mine", "Kammerspiel"  and "In The Pit Of the Stomach". Which I guess only goes to prove that the Scottish blogosphere has a pretty different viewpoint compared to the rest of Scotland's taste makers. Personally I would have loved to have seen Adam Stafford and Monoganon in the list, but I guess they might still edge towards being a bit too obscure for some folk (still fucking great albums mind). Personally I would love to see either King Creosote & John Hopkins or Happy Particles win it. Hopefully well see both of them making the final list of ten, which will be revealed  on the 17th of May, if you want vote for your favourite album then you can do so on the 14th of May when the voting goes open the general public, with the  general public’s   choice  guaranteed a slot on the shortlist. The winning  album  will be announced on the 19th of June at a ceremony in Glasgow, with the winner receiving a cheque for a whopping £20,000 and the nine runners-up receiving £1,000. Not bad, not bad at all.

Right I best rush off, as I am heading through to Fife with Randolph's Leap for The Eye O' The Dug Festival (that's my excuse for the rushed nature of this post). Before I go here are some covers from some of the artists that I wouldn't mind winning the innaugural SAY Award.


Aidan Moffat & Bill Wells - Cruel Summer (Bananarama cover)

Conquering Animal Sound - Dancing On My Own (Robyn cover)

FOUND - Eyes So Bright (Cate Le Bon cover) 

Happy Particles - Lovestoned (Justin Timberlake cover)

King Creosote and Jon Hopkins - I Have Been Losing You (A-ha cover) 

Remember Remember - Twin Peaks theme tune (Angelo Badalamenti cover) 

Steve Mason - Borderline (Madonna cover)

We Were Promised Jetpacks - Blindsided (Bon Iver cover)

The Scottish BAMS Award 2011 (The Scottish Blogger And Music Sites Award)

logo designed by Bob Rafferty

Three years ago I decided that it might be fun to run a poll amongst my fellow bloggers and folk who run music sites in Scotland, to try and find out what the definitive album of that year really was. In its inaugural year The Phantom Band pipped Animal Collective to claim top spot, then last year I did it all again with The National topping that list. This year I managed to rope in a whopping 47 folk to take part in choosing their albums of the year. The following sites all contributed their favourite albums of 2011: The Pop Cop, Jim Gellatly, The Steinberg Principle, Blueback Hotrod, Scots Whay Hae, Dauphin, The Daily Dose, Blues Bunny, Rave Child, Glasgow PodcArt, 17 Seconds, Net Sounds, The Tidal Wave of Indifference, edRock.net, Dear Scotland, Vic Galloway, Manic Pop Thrills, Edinburgh Man, Kowalskiy, Last Years Girl, Aye Tunes, Song, By Toad, Elba Sessions, Listen Before You Buy, Detour Scotland, Jock Rock, Found in Sound, Phuturelabs, The Daily Growl, Favourite Son, The 'Spill, Scottish Fiction, Nicola Meighan, Jenny Soep, Rokbun, Curious Joe, Radar Scotsman Music Blog and of course Peenko.

Initially it didn't look like there was any sort of clear leader, then as the votes started to trickle in our eventual winner(s) absolutely ran away with it. So without further ado here's The Scottish BAMS top ten albums of 2011...

8-10. The Moth & The Mirror - Honestly, This World /PJ Harvey - Let England Shake / FOUND - factorycraft

6-7. Conquering Animal Sound - Kammerspiel / The Son(s) - The Son(s)

5. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine

3-4. Mike Nisbet - Vagrant / Bon Iver - Bon Iver

2. Adam Stafford - Build A Harbour Immediately

And the winner is...

1. Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat – Everything’s Getting Older

Ahead of tonights show at the Arches in Glasgow, I caught up with Bill and Aidan to present them with their very own BAMS Buckie!

a couple of BAMS

Congratulations Bill and Aidan, you are this years' winners of the Scottish BAMS award, how do you feel? Does this rate as a career highlight then?

Aidan - I think it might be the first award I've ever been presented with, with the exception of the joint 4th Year English Prize at Falkirk High in 1989, so it's very exciting indeed. Not sure about a career highlight – that accolade is always reserved for the work itself, and Everything's Getting Older is certainly one of my favourites, yes.

Bill - Feels good - though when it dawned on me, obviously quite some time ago, that awards are only ever decided upon by other people, not by some almighty, all knowing, arbiter of taste and quality looking down from the clouds, I thought it always best to never get too excited about any of them coming my way, not that there's been much occasion to, right enough.

How did you end up collaborating together in the first place?

Aidan - Bill says we found ourselves at the same table in a pub and I immediately asked him to play on some Arab Strap songs. I have no recollection of this at all, but at the time I was very much in love with his Also In White album so I've no reason to doubt him. After he played on the Monday At The Hug And Pint album, we did one song together and then took years to book a studio to do some more. We always seemed to have other things to do, but I'm glad we waited because I can't imagine the album any other way. It would've had an entirely different theme and tone if we'd finished it in 2005, and I really don't think it would have been as good from my side.

Bill - Indeed this is what happened - I was very surprised and flattered actually because although I was a huge Arab Strap fan, and though we were all from Falkirk, or, more likely, because, it never occurred to me that we'd ever all be in a studio together, so it did, for me at least, even at the time, feel like quite an occasion, and looking back, even more so now.

I am guessing that you've spent a lot of time in each others' pockets this year; has this bonded your love for each other, or are you sick of the sight of each other?

Aidan - We haven't really spent that much time together at all, to be honest. We haven't done a lot of touring, although what we did do was quite hard work. There's more gigs being planned for next year, so hopefully we'll have more to do, but it's not as though we're a young rock band out on the road and in the NME every week, there's not a lot of fuss or constant attention to deal with; there's been a minimum of upheaval, thankfully.

Bill - Yeh, sorry, you're guessing wrong.

If the love is still there, are there any plans to work together again in the future?

Aidan - We've just started talking about our second album now, so it will happen but we're not sure when. Certainly not next year, we've both got a couple of albums each planned for 2012, so we might try and have it ready for 2013. There's no rush though, it'll be ready when it's ready; the last thing i want to do is dive into it and force it out, that's why a lot of second albums these days are a bit shit. Bands and labels are desperate to hold onto any momentum and profile a new band has, but we're lucky in that respect because we're not really a new, young band; we've both been making records for ages and there's no pressure on us at all. So 2014 at the earliest!

Bill - Just to add that I'm really looking forward to this, the musical ideas for first album were pretty much all on one cdr I gave Aidan ages ago, then the EP happened pretty quickly this year so, personally, I'm more hopeful for the 2013 result but, whatever and whenever, it'll be great to get working together in the studio again.

Seeing as we are on the subject of albums of the year, what have been your personal favourites of 2012?

Aidan - I would've said Slow Club's Paradise a couple of weeks ago (which I still love) but it's been pipped at the post by the last-minute release of Josh T. Pearson's limited live LP, The King Is Dead, which I think is far superior to his studio album. There's been a lot of very good music this year though, but my memory can never work when it's put on the spot, sorry!

Bill - I look at these end of year lists and realize I haven't heard so many of these records, so it feels like a very uninformed opinion. The last time I was asked I said the re - release of Annette Peacock's 'I'm The One' which is truly one of the greatest records ever made. However after writing that I realized that "That's Reality' by Yumbo, which is Koji Shibuya's (bass player in Maher Shalal Hash Baz) Pop masterpiece, came out in Japan in early 2011.

'Everything’s Getting Older' is out now on Chemikal Underground and it comes with the Scottish BAMS seal of approval. You can order yourself a copy on CD, download or on triple vinyl (which also includes two Bonus 12" featuring 14 exclusive tracks of new material, remixes and demos/ a 12x12 16-page booklet featuring lyrics and sheet music for Bill's compositions/ a data disc with hi-spec audio files of all vinyl tracks plus a recording of Bill & Aidan's first ever concert at Glasgow's Triptych Festival in 2008, here.

Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat - The Copper Top

Scots Way-Hay - The Artists Albums of the Year 2011 (Part 1)

And so it begins... I did warn you at the end of last week I did warn you that I would be starting on my numerous end of year polls. Following on from the success of last years series of posts I have decided to run my Artists Albums of the Year, which basically meant that I went back to any of the bands and artists that have featured in my Scots Way-Hay posts over the past couple of years. To kick us off here are the choices of Happy Particles, Discopolis, John Knox Sex Club, Come on Gang! , Trapped in Kansas and Miss The Occupier.

Belong - Common Era chosen by Steven Kane (Happy Particles/Remember Remember)

I had been a fan of Belong for a while before Common Era came out, their previous efforts sitting somewhere between Stars of the Lid and Tim Hecker at his most rusty. I was pretty surprised by the departure i heard on first listen, it's still engulfed in the usual 'tumble dryer' ambience but there is a really strong melodic heart to this record along with some almost subliminal rhythms. One of the reasons i like it so much is that it can be hard to tell where the source of a lot of the cacophony is coming from, although it all sits prettily in harmony. Your brain connects melodies and perhaps makes up some new ghost melodies too. I get that nice nostalgic cozy feeling from it that you do from some Boards of Canada records where melody and memory seem to bind in a beautiful wonkiness. It certainly owes something to some bands from the Shoegaze era but i think they have achieved something distinctly fuzzy and their own. Not just my favorite of 2011 but one of my all time favorite records.

Bon Iver - Bon Iver chosen by Laurie Corlett-Donald (Discopolis)

An incredible follow up that I think captures the simplicity and beauty of his debut ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ butmanages to chart new territory with epic 80’s sounding ballads to fully instrumented rock songs. I cannot wait to spend the winter months listening to this record on repeat in my room while enjoying large glasses of mulled wine.

Sparrow & The Workshop - Spitting Daggers chosen by Rory Anderson (John Knox Sex Club)

Sparrows first album was cracking, this is ten times better. Nick is a complete geek with equipment so all the guitars are a step ahead of the previous album, plus the harmonies perfect. Jills vocals are incredible, she has a delicate quality but also wails (not like zep, I mean in a good way) like fuck which can kick the arse of most singers. As I said, the harmonies are great, Gregor has an amazing voice as well, and the two match so well, never been able to explain why.... I guess everyone talks about the vocals when Sparrows come up in conversation, but the lyrics are lovely too. Jill is a really sincere writer, we played with them up in Aberdeen, and they soundchecked 'Old Habits', everyones jaws dropped in John Knox, we all were really taken by that song, the performance was great, but the lyrics were really beautiful. Anyway, that was pretty much 5 sentences of rambling. The record is really well put together, it's hard just to put on one song from it, but my favourite is 'Against The Grain". If I could drive and put a driving tape together, that song wid be on it.

P.S. The intro of Soft Sound Of Your Voice sounds like Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson, which is bawzoot.

FOUND - factorycraft chosen by Michael Morrison (Come on Gang!)

My album of 2011 is factorycraft by FOUND. Since it was released in March, nothing else has got much of a look-in on the annual roundup stakes, and I’ve subsequently played it dozens and dozens of times.

As perennial overachievers, it was great to finally see FOUND get snapped up by Chemikal for this record and, thankfully for both parties, everyone seems in agreeance that factorycraft is a solid step-up from their first two albums proper. Anyway…

It’s dark, funny, very very smart and instantly arresting. It also plays as a record – with two distinct sides – which is a rare treat these days. Though it’s experimental in approach, factorycraft is a solid pop record which is never ‘out there’ for the sake of artiness, and instead just occasionally trips the listener up a little along the way. I always think it’s pretty easy to create something unique, but to make something unique and good is nigh on impossible, and that’s what FOUND seem to do on an almost bi-annual basis these days.

Each song is killer, with Blendbetter’s epic drop being a stand out for me, but it’s the obvious range of influence on offer that keeps the record leap years ahead of the crowd. Part The Cure and part Arab Strap, but with really weird bits thrown in, factorycraft is impossible to date – if I was an idiot, I would absolutely believe that this record was a vintage relic sent back through time from the future. If I lived in Hoxton I would call it 'small-town- industrial-hawick-soul-pop'.

Colin Stetson- New history of warfare volume 2-judges chosen by Sean (John Knox Sex Club)

A record that I struggle to compare to anything else I have ever heard. In fact to go on about it and attempt to 'review' it would be pointless so I won't other than to say it is beautiful, apocalyptic, baffling, furious and desperate.



The Cosmic Birth & Jounrey of Shinju TNT by Akron/Family chosen by Chris Ward (Trapped in Kansas)

I stumbled across Akron/Family one late night trawling the recommended artists on iTunes and since I heard the first minute of opening track 'Silly Bears', I was hooked. This album opens up a world of epic and cosmic proportions, every song invites you into a radiant phantasmagorical soundscape. For me it's like listening to the best elements of Grizzly Bear, Maps & Atlases, Animal Collective and Beach Boys all rolled into one!

Like most albums you've never heard before the first port of call was the incredible artwork on the cover, which is a volcano spewing out lava into the night sky. It's a beautiful wash of deep colours and it defiantly added a peacock moment which lured me in and I'm glad to say I was not disappointed. Wanting to know a bit more about the band I read a few articles which led me to find out the album was written in a cabin built into the side of an active volcano in Japan and then recorded in an abandoned train station in Detroit and that they lost one of their founding members when he went off to become a Buddhist monk!

These guys are special, their music is special and I think more people should be listening to Akron/Family and the cosmic birth & journey of Shinju TNT.



Simon Werner a Disparu by Sonic Youth chosen by Magnus (Miss The Occupier)

Simon Werner a Disparu is a film soundtrack released this January on Sonic Youth's SYR label, an outlet for occassional albums and EPs highlighting the band's more experimental extremes. These haven't exactly been radio friendly unit shifters (1999's double disc Goodbye 20th Century is hard going by most people's standards) but this new release is probably the most accessible of the SYRs, more reminiscent of, say, Tortoise or the Dirty Three. Simon Werner a Disparu is entirely instrumental and is heavy on atmospherics and white noise, but there are plenty of Providence-esque pianos and jangly guitar melodies. The closing track Theme d'Alice is ace and politely rocks out in a similar way to Pink Steam from Rather Ripped.

The recent speculation about Sonic Youth's future has given the band headlines in 2011 for all the wrong reasons. Certainly more focus will be on Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore's respective solo projects in the near future, so it's only right to give credit to the actual music Sonic Youth have put out this year rather than the very un-Sonic Youth celebrity gossip that's been doing the rounds.

Friday Freebies

Pet
Right this isn't technically a freebie as it's one of those pay what you like type scenarios, whether you choose to donate any pennies is up to you. The one thing that you do need to do is download their EP as it's fucking awesome, it's been a long time since I listened to something this good that wasn't emailed to me. Hailing from Edinburgh, the band describe their music as being 'heavy feather pop', fuck knows what that means, but it's probably a much better description than I would have come up with. You can find their EP, 'What You Building?' on their Bandcamp page, the band are having a launch night next Friday (1st July) at Super Club in Edinburgh. So if you're in the vicinity with nothing to do, then get yourself along to this one.

Kowalskiy
His Korner might have disappeared a while ago, but my blogger friend Kowalskiy has been keeping himself a busy boy as he's now onto his 12th Free EP. This months release features free downloads from Andrew Lindsay & the Coat Hooks, Innocents Civilian, The Tea Offensive, Le Reno Amps and The Black Hand Gang. You can download the EP directly from Mr Kowalskiy's Bandcamp page.

Twin Brother
Jamie who runs the excellent podcast, Net Sounds, in Inverness put me onto these guys earlier in the week. He suggested that their album 'Best Frenzy', might go down pretty well with folk who like Fleet Foxes, Department of Eagles or Doves. A pretty apt description in my opinion and a rather ace album too. You can download it for free on their Bandcamp, also make sure you check out Jamie's podcast, as its fucking ace.

Bon Iver
I am starting to think I might have to go back and give Mr Vernon's album another few listens, as it really does feel like I am very much in the minority of folk who didn't think much of his new self titled album. I think my friend Karl summed it up pretty well, when he suggested that it might be a good idea if Justin Vernon stopped taking so much fucking coke. Then again it did get a 9.5 review on Pitchfork, so perhaps that shows how much I know. Anyway, if you haven't already heard the album and am wondering what the fuck I am on about, RCRD LBL have a free download of the track 'Calgary' up for free download here.

Plastic Animals
For a Weegie I don't half talk about Edinburgh bands a lot on here, I am not sure whether it's just because I enjoy their scene more, or if just that Edinburgh bands just tend to email me more stuff. Whatever the fuck it is, I am not complaining. Plastic Animals have an EP out next month, I like it, I plan to feature them soon hopefully. Rather than making an attempt at describing them I am going to point you in the direction of a couple of free downloads that they have on their Bandcamp, then let them do all of the hard work in a few weeks time.

Cheesecake
I won't bullshit you, I had no idea who this lot where until just the other day when I emailed Halina from the Podcart. Seeing as she's the goddess of indie knowledge she soon put me right, apparently they're one them there supergroups made up members of Frightened Rabbit, Galchen and Union of Knives. If song titles such as 'Pure massive pubes' and 'Get Tae Fuck Ya Artists Cunt' sound like your cup of tea, then get download them from here.

Capitals
Having just played at goNorth and the Insider Festival, Edinburgh outfit Capitals, stock definitely seems to be on the up. Next month they're playing at King Tuts Summer Nights with Meursault and Over The Wall, then they have dates lined up in Berlin plus they've just been announced to appear at this years Edge Festival in August. With a mini album hopefully in the offing later in the year, the band are hinting on what lies in store by giving away their track 'Running and Hello World' for free in exchange for your email address.

Portishead
I never really got the excitement surrounding Portishead, it's just not for me. It might be for you though, so you might be interested that ATP have posted up a 2 Hour mixtape curated by the band, featuring tracks from the likes of Doom, Caribou and Beach House. You can download the mix for nowt using the following link.

Peace
Having just rambled about how I don't like Portishead, I am now about to tell you about something that's a bit Trip Hop-esque that I do like. It's by a guy who goes under the guise of Peace who's from Glasgow and has made his new Hungry EP available to download for free, and that's pretty much all that I can tell you about him. You can listen to his songs on Soundcloud, then if you like them, there's a link on the right hand side of the page to download the EP for free.

Dan Wilde
Exciting new indie label, Littlest Mojo Music, who promote Roddy Woomble among others, have recently taken on a fella by the name of Dan Wilde. You can download his rather enchanting song 'Nowhere' for free on his Soundcloud page.

Moddi
One of the things that I missed most at this goNorth was the chance to go and see a tonne of new bands, seeing as we were hosting our own night it would have been pretty rude if we'd have fucked off to another venue. Then again, we did have some a great line up, so there wasn't any real need for me to go anywhere else. So the next day when I was catching up with a few folk to find out what they'd enjoyed the previous day, the same name cropped up numerous times. 'Moddi, who the fuck is Moddi?', now I think I must have uttered this a few times, but it eventually seeped in as by the time I got home I was hunting some of his stuff down. It left me feeling two things, one I was happy that folk had told me about him and two, I was gutted that I had missed him. Hailing from Norway, Moddi's sweet acoustic have the power to be uplifting whilst also breaking your heart. You can find out yourself by heading over to his website where you will find a whole host of freebies.

Air Cav
On the odd occasion that I do listen to things that aren't Scottish, one of the main folk that I trust a lot is Ted who runs the excellent Cloud Sounds podcast. The boy knows his stuff, plus his rambling podcasts amuse the fuck out of me. One band that he has been banging on about recently are a Mancunian outfit by the name of Air Cav. Having checked out their Bandcamp page I can see why, see for yourself by downloading a couple of old singles for free.

Finding Fiction
Up and coming power pop outfit, Finding Fiction, who hail from Brooklyn, NYC, are currently giving away their new single 'Migraines & Sheep' for free download on their Bandcamp, catchy as fuck it is too.

Washed Out
Stereogum have a free download of new Washed Out song 'Amor Fati' taken from forthcoming post-chillwave album which is due out on Sub Pop next month.

Mazes
Fat Cat's very own Mazes have posted up new demo track 'Brunswick Stack' for free download on their Souncloud.

Friday Freebies

Bon Iver
So the big question in indie circles at the start of the year was whether or not Justin Vernon, aka Bon Iver could live up to the high standards he set up with his debut album 'For Emma, Forever Ago'. With his new self titled album due out soon, you can get a taster of what to expect by downloading new song Calgary, in exchange for your email address.

Discopolis
I briefly mentioned Edinburgh electro outfit, Discopolis in a post yesterday. If you read The Pop Cop blog (you should), then you might already know what a stir they caused amongst the judges of this years T Break stage. I guess that technically makes them the hottest band in Scotland at the moment, or at leats it makes them the hottest band in Scotland this week. I have given them a good few listens now and begrudgingly I have to admit that the judges were spot on, I am just disappointed that I didn't pick up on them first. If you fancy giving them a chance then check out their Soundcloud page where they have a few songs up for free download, just scroll down towards the bottom of the page.

The Second Hand Marching Band
A massive band with grand plans at least, I think that's the best way to describe the SHMB. I gave up counting how many of them are in the band a long time ago, not enough fingers you see. Last I heard the band were set to release 3 albums this year, plus they're also due to be playing at this goNorth (god knows how Inverness is going to find enough beds to put them all up), plus they're also playing at the Last Battle's EP launch in June, a gig which is being put on by Jim Ayetunes. They may wel have 3 albums worth of material, but they've still been working away on new songs. One of which is called 'Mull' and it's free to download here (just right click save).

Miaoux Miaoux
I have mentioned this before, but it's worth repeating that Miaoux Miaoux's new single Hey Sound is a belter of a tune. If you head over to his Soundcloud page then you can download a promo mix of material that includes the afore mentioned single. If it floats yer boat then come down to Mono on Tuesday for the single launch, where I will be attempting to DJ.

Kowalskiy
It's that time of the month again when my fellow blogger, Kowalskiy, puts out his new EP of local acts. This month he's got tracks from 4dayweekend, How Garbo Died, Matt Norris & the Moon, Laurence & the Slab Boys and Woodenbox With A Fistful Of Fivers. Further details can be found here.

Foxgang
Glasgow folk-rock outfit, Foxgang have made their song 'White Picket Fence' available for free download on their Bandcamp.

Fatherson
Another freebie from a band who are also playing this years T Break stage. DF Concerts really seem to be bigging this powerpop outift up a fair bit, I am still sitting on the wall as I want to hear more before I make my mind up whether they're for me or not. You can decide for yourself by downloading Town For Tourists for now on their Bandcamp.

Haddowfest
I appreciate that I have spent most of this post banging on about other bloggers, this is the last one I promise. Myke from edRock has posted up a whole load of sessions that they recorded at this years Haddowfest onto Bandcamp. You can find free acoustic tracks from Homework, Steve Heron and The Fire & I, among others, here.

Fionn Regan
The Irish singer-songwriter has put a free download of new track '100 Acres of Sycamore' on his homepage.

We've Got It Covered #5

One of my favourite bands covering one of my favourite songs, fucking bliss. Recorded as part of their session they did for Vic Galloway last year, this is a corking little cover. I actually forgot that I had it until I was having a search for this weeks cover version. Top notch stuff, enjoy.

We Were Promised Jetpacks-Blindsided (Bon Iver cover)

Bon Iver erupts with new side project

I love Bon Iver. Fucking love him. So you can imagine how excited I meet be at the announcement that his side project Volcano Choir are to release their debut album 'Unmap' next month. The collaborative project brings together Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) with Collections of Colonies of Bees, as a taster of what is to come you can now download one of the album tracks 'Island IS' here. Personally I think it sounds fantastic, but then again I would say that.
If you can't be arsed downloading it, then have a listen below.

Volcano Choir's debut LP Unmap, out on the 21st of September through Jagjaguwar.

Myspace

Bon Iver - Glastonbury 2009

Track Listing
1. Creature Fear
2. Skinny Love
3. Blood Bank
4. For Emma (split)
5. The Wolves (Act I and II)

Download

Bon Iver - Live at the Wireless (23/01/09)

Download
Link
The Park MP3
Stereogum Source

Bon Iver - the early days

I really thought I had posted this a while back, but alas I checked and I hadn't, must be old age kicking in or more likely I have managed to destroy that many brain cells through too many pints and bottles of vino. Anyway, that's enough of that as i seem to be heading off on a completely different tangent. Prior to his Bon Iver album, Justin Vernon released two albums, one with the Hazeltons and one on his own. If you are interested in hearing what they sounded like, then check out the links below.

Justin Vernon (from Bon Iver) – Hazeltons [2006]
Justin Vernon – Self-Titled

Bon Iver covers Outfield (Your Love)

Bon Iver on the Late Show

Bon Iver live EP

Having released one of the finest debut albums of the year, Bon Iver has very kindly put a few live versions of some of his tunes up for download here. These versions are far more stripped back than the album versions, but I think that adds to the beauty of the songs.

1. For Emma, Forever Ago
2. Flume
3. Blindsided
4. Lump Sum

If you haven't heard anything Bon Iver yet, then get over to his myspace and let his songs make your spine shiver with joy.

Buy For Emma, Forever Ago