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.
I chanced upon Rapskallion this morning in one of Melbourne’s laneways and I was drawn in instantly. They gave a five person performance of mandolin, melodica, megaphone; double bass, violin and accordion times two as well as a whimsical array of percussive utensils and surfaces; the seemingly preferred of which being the face of Harry Connick Jr on nearby posters that littered their cave.
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.
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.
The official music video to the first single of Jónsi’s upcoming debut solo album ‘Go’ has been released as shown below. A dark and glittery affair, the video is too fast paced for my liking but it defines Jónsi’s style perfectly.
‘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.
Posted by Charlie O'Shea | Posted in Charlie O'Shea | Posted on 08-02-2010
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So as you might have noticed from recent tweets, I’ve just moved to Melbourne. This explains the recent neglect of this blog but I’ve found a place to stay so I’ll be able to start writing again. I’m writing this right now from a maccas, they have sparrows.
Hopefully I’ll be featuring more Melbourne/Australian bands from now on. Sophie Stratford is still back in England and will still be doing her thing so I suppose we now have a bi-hemispherical blog. Awesome. Bye.
Golden pop phenomenon Mika is releasing his brand new single Blame It On The Girls, taken from his acclaimed seconds album The Boy who Knew Too Much. The single is a massively happy slice of timeless, sing along pop bliss incorporating hand claps and floor stopping piano. Already a live hit Blame It On The Girls raised the roof at this year’s iTunes Festival. The single comes with fantastic mixes from mighty Wolfgang, Paul Woolford, Anorak & Starmith and an old-school video spectacular directed by acclaimed director Nez (who has shot promos for Lily Allen and Kid Cudi). This single is just another great track under Mika’s belt.
Indie Music Finds was started in April 2009 as a place for people to find something new. It’s now being written by two people both living in the U.K. I try and keep it quite diverse so rummage around a bit and I’m sure you’ll find something you like to take away with you.
Contact
For music submissions and advertising enquiries, contact indiemusicfinds(at)googlemail.com
