Ahead of the release of Bon Iver’s second album, a track from it entitled Calgary has been made available for free download in glorious 320kbps from his website. It’s been a three year wait interspersed by the Blood Bank EP in 2009 but Bon Iver’s new self titled album is set for release on the 21st of June 2011.

Bon Iver, Bon Iver’s progress has been tied into the construction of a new recording studio created in his hometown of Wisconsin and this album features some unusual track names corresponding to cities such as Lisbon OH, Perth and Hinnom, TX from previous tours. At the forefront, as always, are Justin Vernon’s archetypal harmonized vocals underpinned by his sublime acoustic chord patterns but with the mandatory occasional synth pad/electronic beat in the background we’ve come to expect.

Bon Iver is also set to tour again this year: a North American tour in late July/early August alongside The Rosebuds and a European tour in October/November with Kathleen Edwards. Tickets are already on sale and can be found through these links.

Chaz Bundick, the fellow behind Toro Y Moi has returned with his alter ego Les Sins. Although the sound is recognisable from his earlier release under the Toro Y Moi pseudonym, this single has lost a lot of the trip hop idiosyncracies and it has some some serious commerical potential whilst retaining credibility.

Youth Gone – Les Sins

Lina is accompanied by B side Youth Gone as featured above. Les Sins has a vaguely 80s feel, one of beaches and poorly exposed photographs. It’s an interesting change of pace from this character and it’s looking as though Bundick will diversify his sound further yet. Chaz is currently touring as Toro Y Moi supporting Foals on a UK tour.

Released 18th November 2010.

Botany, in my opinion one of the most unique artists to be featured on this blog to date is to soon release his debut five track EP, Feeling Today. Referred to by Spencer Stephenson himself as hillwave, Botany produces his music from his house atop a hill surrounded by trees and the Texas horizon; it definitely comes through in the music.

With word already of a future full-length scheduled for Spring 2011, you can expect to hear more news of Botany on IMF.

Water Parker – Botany

Spencer’s first encounter with recording came from a Casio and a cassette at age 4. He’s into the idea of recycling sounds and his tracks are reminiscent of a lost age of antiquity buried by modern life. There’s a lucid, tribal quality and the fourth track of the EP and track four, Bennefactress really captures the sound of Four Tet, a sound which I had previously believed to be inimitable.

Released 15th November 2010.

The Frequency are an independent rock band from Los Angeles, CA, they are relatively unknown psychedelic techno pop. Marc Cazorla and Alex Stiff are the core songwriting and recording duo behind the music and use an array of analogue and vintage instruments in creating sounds that have been described by NME as “stripped back music strengthened by simplicity as much as beauty”.

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

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.