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.
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.
Race Horses first full length release Goodbye Falkenburg was out mid-January. Thirteen tracks long and with around a quarter of the songs in welsh, this album features a comfortable blend between a modern indie rock vibe and a distinctly 60s feel. There’s clear musical influence from The Beatles with double tracked vocal harmonies and analogue effects like phasing but in my mind Race Horses are more reminiscent of Syd Barrett era Pink Floyd.
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.”
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.
Adam Young is the mastermind behind the music collaboration that is Owl City. Single ‘Fireflies’ has hit the No. 1 spot on the U.S Billboard charts in November 2009 and the U.S iTunes chart. It has also already sold nearly two million copies and is the fastest selling electronic track of all-time. Young has fashioned an elegant and seemingly effortless connection between fashionably arty, retro-nouveau electro pop and the kind of fresh-faced, sweetly melancholic hit factory songwriting.
Owl City pop has a purity of purpose – an innocence that breathes fresh air in to the electro-pop revival. It sounds like a sparkling wintry day in a place full of nature, rather than electronic music’s usual urban nocturnal vibe. Fireflies makes a world of adventure to combat quietness and the boredom around you.
Official music video to ‘Get Better’ from dan le sac Vs. Scroobius Pip’s upcoming album, ‘Logic of Chance’. The album is due out in March 2010 and the tracklisting can be seen here.
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
