sea inside a shell

The Relict - Tomorrow is now in most parts sounds like a Clientele record, which for one isn’t surprising and secondly is not at all a bad thing. The band consists of several present (including Alasdair MacLean, Dan Evans and James Hornsey) and past members of ‘The Clientele’. In fact, most of the songs were written by Innes Phillips during his stint with ‘The Clientele’, which ended amicably in 1999. The sound of the album is more like the reverb induced dream-like sound of the early Clientele EPs (one was posted earlier on this blog). The album has a vintage feel to it - with a warm analog hiss ever present in the background - that just draws you in. The songs follow simple and effective structures and are all at a steady dreamy pace. ‘Time spent with you’ is one of the most beautiful songs i have ever heard. There are some beautiful instrumental acoustic guitar pieces in here too. If you liked the clientele stuff posted earlier. Do give this one a try.

Get it here link is in the comments.

When you first hear this album it will instantly remind you of the early Belle & Sebastian sound. These similarities come more to mind considering the fact that both groups come from Scotland. Essentially you will hear delicate guitar sounds backed by unobtrusive percussion and dainty piano, organ, horns and strings. Tracyanne Campbell and John Henderson share most of the vocal duties - with characteristic indie-pop style backing vocals. Other somewhat subtle influences come through on a few tracks (most of which are sung by John Henderson) - such as Nashville on ‘Before You Cry’, Leonard Cohen on ‘Your Picture’. But for most part Camera Obscura engage in heart-on-sleeve acoustic pop - and it is at this that they shine. My favorite tracks on this album include - "Suspended from Class", "Teenager", "Number One Son", "Keep it clean".

Get it here… link in the comments.

Bill Ricchini is a singer-songwriter based out of Philadelphia. His debut album ‘Ordinary Time’ was recorded in a bedroom giving the album a fragile lo-fi sound that perfectly suits the songs. However, that said you will be surprised by the arrangements - which involve guitars, drums, trumpets, cellos, organs, tambourines, sleigh bells, accordions and a toy xylophone. That seems to be a big arsenal for a lo-fi bedroom recording.

The album consists of 16 songs - however, most of them are below the 3 min mark. The sound is reminiscent of Bill’s obvious influences The Beach Boys and other 60s surf pop and the experimental Beatles sound. However, Bill manages to rise above the influences establishing himself as a very talented singer-songwriter. His infectious voice is perfectly matched to the lo-fi sound of the album. Elliott Smith comes to mind at times (especially Roman Candle era) and at other times its Badly Drawn Boy, Brian Wilson and even Belle & Sebastian.

The album has a summer pop sound to it, but speaks of the winter (as mentioned in the linear notes). Such duality surfaces throughout the album. The title Ordinary Time is in fact the term used by the Catholic Church for the calender days that do not fit into the Advent or Lent seasons. Bill attempts to show us that the emotions that life are made of carry on even in the most ordinary of time. The themes followed in the album are melancholic but the listener is never exposed to self-pity or self-indulgence that happens so often in melancholic records these days.

Bill Ricchini is a talented musician - he plays most of the instruments on the album with a little help from friends. His ear for arrangements, engineering and song-writing make this album an almost perfect debut. Give this a shot - and do check out the excellent studio recorded sophomore effort "Tonight i burn brightly".

‘Get it here’ link posted in the comments.

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The Essex Green are an indie-folk rock trio (Jeff Baron, Sasha Bell and Chris Zitter) from Brooklyn, NY. The band originally formed in Vermont and later moved to Brooklyn giving the band’s mountain-folk sound a big city vibe.

‘The Long Goodbye’ (the bands sophomore effort) provides it’s listeners with a good mix of catchy songs reminiscent of traditional folk-rock bands such as Fairport Convention, The Byrds, and a whole lot of other bands from the late 60s and early 70s. At some point you may hear flutes, organs, country-twang guitars, fiddles, banjos, etc. - there is seriously a lot going on in here. In essence it sounds like a collection of influences - or rather like a band exploring various sounds to find their true sound - which is not entirely a bad thing. This experimentation actually works for this album - as you end up with a bunch of catchy songs that span over several genres - like a mix-tape from the 60s and 70s.

One thing that really shines about the album is the combination of the male & female vocals (Bell and Zitter). The quality of the voices is phenomenal. Give this one a try - if you like music from the above mentioned era - you will certainly like most of the tracks if not all. There is something for everyone in here.

The Get it here link is posted in the comments.

Arco are a three-piece indie band from London, UK. They’re music is deeply moving, emotionally intense and dream-like. The songs on ‘Coming to terms’, their best effort to date in my opinion, predominantly involve acoustic guitars, pianos, drums and strings all subtly mixed to create a soundscape that often makes you question whether you are awake. All the songs follow a slow-pace - which does not imply boring in any way.

Chris Healey’s voice perfectly suits the overall subdued-melodic music style. I get a chill every time i listen to him sing the lines - "how many strangers do you have to meet, how many old friends you have to see, with how many lover’s do you have to sleep, to know that you’re alone in all this world" on ‘All this world’ (one of my favorite tracks on the album). Lyrically the album revolves around the themes of loneliness, escape and as the title suggests coming to terms with situations. Just to highlight the lyrical style i will post the lyrics of "Babies’ eyes" in its entirety (the shortest song on the album - 1:41)

"Autumn falls, everyone draws in and
Twilight calls, and something feels so cold
It’s not the freezing wind of winter being near
It’s just the fading into grey of another year
And I’m waling down this shopping street
through families in the rain
And I’m looking into babies’ eyes again…"

One word that perfectly describes their music is ’subdued’ - and it is really amazing how they manage to make a huge impact despite being subdued. Even when the subject-matter of the song is depressing it somehow leaves you feeling nice inside.

For all those into this type of music - Do give this band a listen - you will not regret it…

(’Get it here’ link posted in the comments)

This may seem like an unusual post… Well okay! i got to admit something right now… I used to be a huge Bush fan and Yes! i hated everyone that compared them to Nirvana (there i’ve got that off my back!)

’sixteen stone’ was their first record and even as i type this its amazing how my teenage years just comeback right away as if they happened just yesterday. This is probably the only album i have bought 3 times (remember those days when we actually waited for records to release and we bought them!) - 2 audio tapes (one lost to a messed up cassette player and the other stolen probably) and 1 audio CD (worn out due to overplay) - before i downloaded it (come on i deserve it!)… In those days back here in India… it used to take 1 1/2 hour to download just 1 song (and we did!) and even after that the computers we had in those days were only capable of playing it at half quality (it probably was a 386 or something… don’t recall… but we had to pull back the player settings to avoid a system crash) (and we still did!)… it’s amazing where we’ve come to now… in just 1 generation… kids these days got it so easy! i’m not to old by the way (made me sound like i was 40 back there) but things happen so fast….

Bush & Nirvana were the transition bands for me (who was not into grunge in those days?). Before that i was into heavier stuff like Pantera, Sepultura, early-Metallica, Slayer, etc (even Cannibal Corpse at a point!). However, during that phase ’sixteen stone’ was probably the album that helped open up new avenues…

So well here it is… a blast from the past (or something like that)… enjoy!

(the ‘Get it here’ link posted in comments)

Belle & Sebastian are one of my favorite bands of all-time. Every once in a while i go through these insane phases - where its all i listen to - which typically lasts for 2-3 weeks. I use the word insane because the melodies are constantly playing in my head even when I’m not actually listening to it. I would be having a conversation with a friend on the phone and she’d be telling me some story about something and the lines "Lisa learned a lot from putting on the blindfold" would just come out randomly or i imagined it did (either ways - you get the picture).

I recently read this funny post by someone at Amazon.com - where they said that the Juno soundtrack would be a good launching pad for bands like The Moldy Peaches, Kimya Dawson and Belle & Sebastian (hehe… it still makes me laugh). The two Belle & Sebastian songs used on the soundtrack are ‘Expectations’ and ‘She’s losing it’ - both from their first LP - Tigermilk.

Anyways coming back to their wonderful 2005 release "Push Barman To Open Old Wounds" - a 25 track collection of their non-LP output originally spread across 7 EPs released between 1997-2001. I somehow have always preferred their EPs over the LPs (i think most B&S fans would agree) - so to have it all in one convenient package as this is awesome. Trust me every song on this release are timeless classics. There is no way i can pick one over the other (i won’t even attempt it).

The things that i like are B&S are far to many to mention but here is a short list: their witty lyrical style, the stories they have to tell, their uncommon sense of observation, the way they bind their songs across albums (characters reappear in different songs in different albums), their arrangements, the continuos vocal style (using the voice as an instrument), the melodies (they just stick in) and above all their randomness (it’s probably one word that is most easily associated with the band)

So enjoy this one (links are in the comments)

I really enjoyed this album. I’ve never heard anything else by Page France - and i purely picked it up based on recommendations on Amazon.com. I really enjoyed it and this album makes me want to get everything else by them

I’ve read that this is their third and weirdest release to date. Weird in the sense that it is filled with bizarre imagery and non sensical lines that seem to be inserted just to make things rhyme. (For example, "You get what you get, when you bite from a tree, a crookeder you and a crookeder me", he sings on ‘Mr. Violin and the Dancing Bear’ and "So i fear it’s all a joke, that i just wasn’t supposed to make, Apples in a cloud of smoke, So fake, I’m so fake", he sings on ‘A Belly to the Sea’). The inspiration for the imagery used in the songs is derived from fairy tales, biblical stories and folklore.

There are a lot of different instruments that accompany Michael Nau’s twangy vocal style - including and not limited to guitars, tambourines, glockenspiels and trumpets. Its like a big celebration, which often contrasts the lyrical theme of the songs. This sugar-coated layer of sunshine (the music) seems to drown out the melancholy (the words) - almost directing listeners to adopt this strategy of dealing with things. This really works for the album - don’t know with real life…

I don’t have any particular favorites - cause i usually land up listening to the whole album as a unit.

The ‘Get it here’ link is posted in the comments.

Griffin House is a Singer-Songwriter based in Cincinnati, Ohio. His music kind of stands out from the average sea of singer-songwriters out there. His first major release was the album ‘Lost and Found’ in 2004 - which even though popular (it was no 1 on Amazon.com for a while), most people still don’t know about him.

‘Homecoming’ (released late 2006 as a digital download and early 2007 on CD) was supposed to be an advanced album preview of the 2nd widely-commercial release called ‘Flying Upside Down’. However, only 2 songs from ‘Homecoming’ actually made it to the album. This is not to say that the other songs are not that good - rather it demonstrates the volume of quality output.

This is a brilliant album - the sound brings to mind early Springsteen at times, Ryan Adams, and even U2. The vocals in particular sound like Bono on some songs. This stated, when it all comes together, he manages to establish his own sound.

‘Homecoming’ is a lot more upbeat than ‘Lost and Found’ (which is also a great album). It also features more variation in style across the tracks. However, one thing that remains is the catchy melodies. Seriously, you will be singing them or they will be playing in your head for weeks - even after 1 listen.

I haven’t been able to get a hand on ‘Flying Upside Down’ - if anyone could help me with that, i would be grateful.

My favorite tracks from the album are the anthem-like "Live to be free", the somewhat muffled "Czech Republic" and the more acoustic "Dance with me".

The "Get it here" link is posted in the comments (this will be the pattern from now on)

Just saw a post at "Don’t think twice it’s alright" (blog) on Ryan Adams… his entire discography is posted there - check it out (he has also posted the Whiskytown stuff).

Adding to that brilliant post - here is an unreleased Ryan Adams album that i listen to the most. It was recorded sometime in early 2001 and was supposed to be a follow up to the Heartbreaker Album. Several of the songs from this album have been included in the albums that released after heartbreaker - however, they are alternate versions. Personally i prefer the original versions on "The Suicide Handbook" as they are more raw and stripped down. Most songs involve crisp acoustic guitar sounds with slide guitar (really minimal arrangements). Its a very relaxed album.

There are several unreleased tracks on this album:
"Perfect and True"
"Tell it to my heart"
"Pretenders"
"Famous Eyes"
"For No One" (My favorite track on this album)
"You don’t know me"
"Cracks in a photograph"
"I’m Waiting"
"Miss Sunflower"
"My California Love"
"Idots Rule the World"

Songs that were included in Gold:
"Wild Flowers"
"Touch, Feel & Lose"
"Firecracker" (you have to hear the Suicide Handbook version - its so much better)
"La Cienega Just Smiled"
"Bow to the Sad Lady" (called "Mara Lisa" on the bonus disc)
"Just Saying Hi" (renamed to "Answering Bell" on Gold)

Songs that were included in Demolition:
"She Wants to Play Hearts"
"Cry on Demand"
"Dear Chicago"

Songs that were included in Easy Tiger:
"Off Broadway"

The quality of 90% of the 21 songs on this album is great. Some pops and crackles are audible on a few tracks (but not too disturbing). Can’t complain too much with bootleg unofficial albums.

I would recommend this album to all Ryan Adams Fans… if you don’t already have it…

Get it here - pt1 & pt2

This is my favorite album of all-time. Is that an over-statement? - I have certainly said the same thing about other albums. Well taking all that into perspective it may be more correct to say it’s one of my favorite albums of all-time. But in the category that Kings of Convenience fits into - it really is "the" best i’ve heard.

Kings of Convenience are an indie acoustic folk-pop duo from Bergen, Norway consisting of Erlend Oye and Eirik Glambek Boe. Their voices combine seamlessly and effortlessly to produce nothing short of ethereal magic - they bring to mind the harmonies of Simon and Garfunkel (a major influence - they also refer to them in a song from their second album Riot on an Empty Street called ‘Home sick’ - where they sing "I lose some sales and my boss won’t be happy, but i can’t stop listening to the sound of two soft voices blended in perfection on the reels of this record that i found&quot and the intricate guitar work of Nick Drake.

Acoustic finger-picked guitar sounds are layered in most songs with drizzles of piano, strings and other accompaniments to create an intricate and dream-like soundscape. The album is full of simple yet effective lyrics - meaningfully sticking to the thematic purpose of the song ("the sun sets on the wall, the day breaks and everything is new" they sing on the opening track - ‘Winning the battle, losing the war’)("There are many ways i would like to break the spell you’ve cast upon me, All the times i sacrificed myself to make you want me, has made you haunt me…" he sings on ‘The weight of my words’ - another gem).

The band formed in 1998 and since then they have released 3 albums (or actually 2 as the first one contained half the songs that are on Quiet is the new loud) and 1 remix album (’Versus’ contains remixes of songs from ‘Quiet is the new loud’). The low output is due to the various other music projects both Erlend Oye (The Whitest Boy Alive, Erlend Oye electronica) and Eirik Glambek (Kommode) are involved in. How i wish they recorded more stuff together under the banner of KOC.

"Quiet is the new loud" is awesome - every song on this one is great - this has not left my playlists for the last 6 years (since i first heard it). Most listened to tracks include "I don’t know what i can save you from", "Winning the battle, losing the war", "Parallel lines" and "The weight of my words".

Get it here

I’ve never been a big fan of The Frames apart from the album "For the birds" - which i was into for quite a while. I stumbled upon this album on a recommendation list recently and at that point i had no idea who Glen Hansard was (even though i had heard The Frames). Anyhow, i absolutely loved the album.

Glen Hansard (Singer from The Frames) and Marketa Irglova (Czech Singer and Pianist) play a collection of simple and moving guitar-piano oriented ballads. Feelings are communicated effectively through this album - both on the soaring moments and on the more intimate delicate moments. Violin and Cello sounds add to the more dominant Guitar strumming and Piano work.

Thematically the album speaks about relationships (nothing novel here) - but somehow the simplicity of the arrangements and the combination of their voices give this over done theme a refreshing feel. Glen Hansard’s voice is brilliant on this album and it is only enhanced by Marketa’s subtle backing track.

The experience of listening to this album was enhanced further after i saw the movie "Once" (starring both Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova), which includes 4 of my favorite tracks from this album "Falling Slowly", "When your mind’s made up", "Lies" and "Leave". If you like the music you must see the film. "Sleeping" is another song i really like.

I also landed up getting The Frames latest album "The Cost", which includes different (the original) versions of some of the songs on this album (but i didn’t really enjoy it as much - sometimes its just what you hear first i guess)

Get it here