On first listen Lemonade is a dark, mysterious 6 tracked fully unique creation. From the first song ‘A Beginning’, Heinali and Matt Finney take us through an emotional journey where Matt paints a picture in our mind with his words that represent deep meaning. Matts voice moulds well to the backing tunes, which generally remind you of outer space with someone talking through a phone. Throughout the tracks there are hints of influence from Brand New and Bright Eyes, and the lyrics are really thought provoking especially in track Lemonade. This style of music is very new and unique and breathes a breath of fresh air into the indie music scene. At the end of the day they’re just two good, broke friends who live on opposite sides of the world trying to make music that they love and hopefully other people will like as well.

It is available for free download and you can also purchase the album with bonus material by naming your own price. (a couple of extra songs and a book Matt wrote)

By Sophie Stratford

Track Love Is One is a soft techno rock anthem. The Frequency’s music is totally unique to anything you’ve heard before. Inspired by music from Pink Floyd, Can, and Spiritualized, their live show adds another level of intensity to the music.  Their show has been described as an audio/visual feast for your senses.

By Sophie Stratford

Music video to ‘Come Home’ from Children and Corpse Playing in the Street’s debut album ‘Honey I’m Home!’. Directed and animated by David Mahler.

Mumford & Sons have begun this decade much as they ended the last, with word-of-mouth recommendations and a fearsome live reputation helping them to become one of the most significant British success stories in recent years.  The band has already received enormous radio airplay, even including a place on the Radio 1 A-list.

Single The Cave is a pounding tale of hope and defiance, starting with gently picked acoustic and this gradually escalates into a huge wall of sound with a myriad of strange and traditional instruments. 2010 is definitely shaping up to be Mumford & Sons year.

Released 1^st March 2010.

By Sophie Stratford

A modern take on the Parisian-Gypsy sound of the early 20th century, they sing tales of Brunswick (the bohemian enclave of Melbourne’s suburbs) with the improvised charm of a true street performance and enough character to fill a Dickens novel.

Never Turn Your Back On Tha Sea – Rapskallion

I made a purchase of their album ‘One Up For The Little Man’, an enthralling 11 track piece. You can visit their myspace here or get the album from iTunes.

One thing I can say for definite is that the busking in Melbourne is better. The lighting and acoustics of the London Underground don’t do anyone any justice.

By Charlie O’Shea

‘Go’ is now set to be released on the 5th of April 2010. The North American tour dates have been posted here and the first show is to be in Vancouver; a day after the album is released worldwide.

No dates in other continents have yet been announced but it is still being called a world tour so I expect they will be in the near future.

Goodbye Falkenburg was recorded over the space of nine months and the band took an unorthodox approach to this debut. “We felt bored with all modern music,” says singer Meilyr Jones. “We wanted to make our fifth album first, if you know what I mean.”

Cake – Race Horses

Race Horses also brought out a 4 track concept EP ‘Man In My Mind’ in December 2009. Although it was an incredibly short release at just under 9 minutes in length, it’s depth made it clear that Race Horses are a band that have the means to last.

Man In My Mind – Race Horses

Released 18th January 2010.

This track was a collaboration between the spoken word artist Joshua Idehen, now of Benin City and dan le sac, better known for his part in the duo that is dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip. Cupid on Dylan is essentially a monologue on behalf of the Roman god of love Cupid although it spins a more interesting, alternative character than is usually told. The poem is lain over a remix by dan le sac of Dylan’s The Times Are a-Changing. It doesn’t really kick in properly until the 1:30 mark but it’s an amazing track nevertheless.

Cupid on Dylan – Joshua Idehen & dan le sac

“That day, my good friend venus quit, moved planet. These days she’s so bitter the skies in her eyes are sulphuric.”

Tracing his father’s roots, in East Sussex, Patrick stumbled across a small wooden cross engraved with the name Damaris among the gravestones of his ancestors. From that moment he began researching who Damaris might be and it came about that the wooden cross told a larger tale then anyone could have imagined. Damaris was a gypsy or heathen, unwelcomed by the Catholic Church at the time. Lewis, the son of a priest, fell in love with Damaris and the two got caught up in whirlwind of forbidden love. The star-crossed lovers were forbidden to marry and Damaris is said to have died of a broken-heart (suicide).

Patrick related to these sentiments at the time and so narrated a song from Lewis’ tragically frustrated perspective. It is important to consider the story behind the song when you are listening as it deepens the meaning. As the track is instrumentally overpowering, the usual fanfare vocals would not be an option and so the track starts with soft, smoky vocals instead. The special, unique aspect of Mr Wolfs music is that is well thought out, personal, and intensely moving.

Released 14th December 2009.

By Sophie Stratford

Toro Y Moi, a 23 year old from South Carolina, is getting ready to release his debut album Causers of This. There’s already word of a second full length album in late 2010 with a completely different sound. This is Blessa from Causers of This, the first single of the album.

Blessa – Toro Y Moi

It’s been said that he’s of a currently unnamed genre but I don’t think we should get ahead of ourselves about how original this act is. His sound, in my opinion, can be summed up in a number of genres which is the mark of any interesting artist. There’s elements of funk, break/big big beat but I think the defining genre would have to be trip hop. It’s like The Avalanches, Shuggie Otis and Four Tet met and decided to transcend to a higher dimension for a jam.

Released 22nd February 2010.