In the Grace of your Love

The new Rapture album is good. It’s not fantastic but it is good. The now trio on DFA have gone for a bit more of a punky-dance attitude toward their fourth studio album which works on some tracks but really doesn’t hit the mark on others. The fantastic How Deep is Your Love which was released earlier this year to a glorious reception is definitely one of those tracks that works. As is Sail Away featured below, a dreamy melodic dance track, it just feels like it’s got a higher note to hit. Most of the album is worth a listen to it just feels like most of the songs are only half written.

 

Sun Comes Up, & Rain Comes Down

There’s not much about Elsa Rae on the internet apart from the names of her many instruments, including Vincent the Uke and Pistol the harmonica. If that doesn’t annoy you then have a listen to this wonderful Vincent solo piece and keep an eye on this up and comer.

 

Have a listen to her SoundCloud right here, and you can compare all the stupid names you give your inanimate objects.

Elsa Rae – Don’t Move to Minnesota

What a Wild Child.

 

Finally, a break through indie-folk band that I actually want to listen to over and over and OVER again. Another treat from Texas, Wild Child just released their album Pillow Talk as a six piece, evolving from just two. Dreamy melodies and that wonderful boy&girl vocal duo make Pillow Talk high up there in my ‘best of’ 2011 albums.

 

Wild Child – Pillow Talk

Breaking Down

Another track from Florence & the Machine’s forthcoming album. It’s a bit Kate Bush, therefore I love it.

 

Florence & the Machine – Breaking Down

Caravan Palace

I was stumbling around Hype Machine as usual when I get some time to myself, and I found on my trail of French artists (started with SoKo, remember her?!) that I ended up with some French Electro Swing (their term not mine) put together by the awesome Caravan Palace.

 

They’re a Parisian six piece who are somewhere between Nouvelle Vague and Daft Punk. Sounds intriguing, right? Well you can have a listen below, and then become as obsessed as I am and download their album, watch The Mask, and have a dance.

Caravan Palace – Brotherswing

Caravan Palace – Suzy

Birdy’s A Team

 

Bearing in mind Jasmine Bogaerde, or Birdy as she’s more commonly known is only 16 years old, she’s doing pretty well. I just remembered this nice cover of Ed Sheerans’ A Team, a perfect example of why I prefer female singers to male singers. It’s got a bit more spark.

Birdy – A Team

Bombay Bicycle Club vs. Lana Del Ray

 

Cover of Lana Del Ray’s already amazing Video Games from Radio 1’s Live Lounge.

 

 

Nightcall

Another smashing song from my favourite film this year, Drive, the soundtrack is on repeat at home right now.

Kavinsky – Nightcall ft. Lovefoxx

Put Your Guns Up

Azealia Bank$, yep that’s a dollar sign, manages to produce incredible mash up of attitude. Electro music with a streak of Missy Elliot if she’d just been mugged, a lot of kissing of teeth and clever lyrics. She’s fantastic. New York musicians are getting in to a genre of their own, but Bank$ manages to mix up about 3 different genres with synths flying every which way in 212, and even managed to sample the killer track Seventeen by Ladytron, in the same name song. GURRRRRL.

 

Azealia Bank$ – 212

Drive

I watched the new film Drive today, and having completely fallen for Carey Mulligan as well as for Ryan Gosling, I also completely fell for the amazing soundtrack. Mostly written by Cliff Martinez, but there was one stand out song that just kept coming back at the most poignant of moments in the film. Canadian group Desire wrote that song.

 

Desire – Under Your Spell