Oscar & The Wolf- "All I Want"

Belgium may be a wee small country in Europe, but the whole world knows it for some pretty sweet contributions like, chocolate, beer, friets & waffles to name a few. Pretty good in my book. One of my favorite new things to come from the tiny EU country is the band, Oscar & the Wolf. The Ghent based band recently released their new EP Summer Skin to some critical acclaim back in their native land, even grabbing some opening slots for bands like Warpaint and Mercury Rev.
The new disc is the bands second via PIAS records and it was said to have been recorded in an old abandoned church in Belgium over a four-week stretch. The EP is available now over on the US iTunes store, and you can give a listen to the dreamy atmospherics of "All I Want" below. 

also check out this very excellent version of their single, "Orange Sky" below. 


http://www.oscarandthewolf.com/
http://www.facebook.com/oscarandthewolf

The Dove & The Wolf- "Springtime"

The Dove & the Wolf are Paloma Gil and Louise Hayat-Camard, a French folk act that just released their debut 4 song EP. With a sound that's been compared to the likes of First Aid Kit, the pair craft mellow, hazy, acoustic gems highlighted by their first single, "Springtime."
You can stream the bands self titled EP over on their bandcamp page HERE.



https://twitter.com/doveandwolf

Die Mason Die- "Hold My Crown"

We talked several weeks back about the young UK group, Die Mason Die and their upcoming debut EP. We were pretty stoked with their first single, "Lost" & now the trio just unveiled a new track "Hold My Crown" via the site: blahblahblahscience. This one has a bit more kick then the first single, it's a nice steady builder, give it a spin below & download it via the bands soundcloud page.
The US release of the EP will be this November 5th via N.Y. label Heavy Rock.





http://www.facebook.com/DieMasonDieMusic

'Song of the Week': The Falls- "Hey"

I just recently discovered this Australian duo, The Falls. Their 6 track Hollywood EP came out during the Summer and it features fantastic harmonies and emotional songwriting, detailing the pairs relationship & break-up. Give a listen to the track "Hey" below and here's a little description from the bands website: "At a time when for most it would be the end of a relationship, for The Falls this feels like it is just the beginning... Almost subconsciously they have documented their whole relationship in their songs. The love, the betrayal, the heartbreak. While at times it is hard for them to wear their hearts so openly on their sleeve, for The Falls, it has been a huge part of their songwriting. As Stevie Nicks said "devastation leads to writing good things". In the fallout from Valentines Day, The Falls decided that rather than wallowing in self pity they would put their heartbreak to tape. So they pulled out their little tascam 4-track portastudio, which, with all its tape wobbles and noise, aptly captured the fragility of their hearts. These fledgling recordings were just the beginning of what has become their debut EP Hollywood.
 


http://www.musicfromthefalls.com/
http://www.facebook.com/musicfromthefalls

Get to Know: Valerie June-"Workin' Woman Blues"

One listen to Valerie June’s debut single, "Workin’ Woman Blues" and you can tell she's a force. Born and raised in Jackson, Tennessee, June is self-taught,  her music being dubbed 'organic moonshine roots music', mixing styles of old school country, soul & delta blues. On her debut full length she brought on board Dan Auerbach (Black Keys) and Kevin Augunas (Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros) recording at The Black Key’s Easy Eye Studio in Nashville.  

The single "Workin’ Woman Blues" sees it's release on Nov. 19th with her debut full-length Pushin’ Against A Stone slated for early 2013. Keep an eye out for this one.




http://www.valeriejune.com/

We Are Augustines: Live Session for XFM

We Are Augustines have been zig zagging across the UK for a good part of the past several months. While on a recent jaunt the guys stopped by the XFM studios to perform stripped down versions of 4 songs. Check out below their fantastic take on Damien Jurado's "Ohio" as well as album centerpiece "Book of James." To see the full session go HERE.





http://www.weareaugustines.com/

River City Extension- "If You Need Me Back in Brooklyn"

You don't exactly think of great Americana or folk music when you conjure up images of New Jersey. But this 8 piece NJ group deal it out and then some on their latest sophomore disc, Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Your Anger which came out this past Spring. I know I'm late to the party on the disc but a friend recently introduced me and I've been falling hard for this album. I keep coming back to this stunner of a track, "If You Need Me Back in Brooklyn." Listen below.



http://rivercityextension.com/

Trixie Whitley releases 'mixtape' featuring 2 new songs

Trixie Whitley fans have been waiting for this day for quite a while. The soulful Brooklyn singer recently announced that she'll be releasing her first solo full length called Fourth Corner. It's being released in the US this January 29th, 2013 and in Europe on February 11th. In advance of the new disc Whitley just put out a free mix (tips suggested) via Noisetrade that offers two of the new songs from her upcoming debut, "Breathe You In My Dreams" & "Hotel No Name." The mixtape also features a live performance from Rockwood Music Hall in NYC, an exclusive outtake, and a recording of the track she did w/ Black Dub (Daniel Lanois, Brian Blade) "I'd Rather Go Blind." 


http://www.trixiewhitley.com/

Daughter - "Youth" live on David Letterman 10/11/12

UK trio Daughter made their US television debut last week on David Letterman. They played "Youth" off of their fantastic 2011 EP 'The Wild Youth.'


more at http://www.ohdaughter.com/

New Videos: Sharon Van Etten "Magic Chords" & "Serpents"

Two new videos surfaced this past week from Brooklyn's own Sharon Van Etten. Via Jagjaguwar: First, it’s the official video for her song “Magic Chords.” Director Rick Alverson, who you know for his film The Comedy, pairs the song with a visual that is both stunningly beautiful and disturbing. Shot in Bloomington, IN last month, the video follows Sharon, dressed as puritan, through the woods and into a lake, all while she is having visions of naked bodies in piles. Also last night, Sharon and her band performed live on the esteemed BBC music program, Later with Jools Holland. They chose to play one of Tramp’s standout tracks, “Serpents.” Watch below.

Die Mason Die- "Lost"

Die Mason Die is a young UK group fronted by talented 19 year old singer, Samuel Mason, who was born in Wales, raised in Australia, and is now based out of London. Originally a solo project, Mason enlisted the help of some band mates for their new EP which is due out on Nov. 5th via Heavy Rock.
 Check out their first single, "Lost" below, which they also debuted a new video for last week. The "Lost" single is available on Oct. 15th.





http://www.facebook.com/DieMasonDieMusic

Aidan Knight- "A Mirror"

I recently discovered Victoria, BC-based songwriter Aidan Knight via a fellow blogger, Megan over at musicvsmisery blog (check her out here). Knight is set to release his second album this month called Small Reveal and it’s due in stores this October 23 on Outside Music. Check out the albums first single “A Mirror”  below. I love the atmosphere and arrangement of this one, dreamy strings & horns and it's funky offbeat rhythms. Give it a spin.




more at http://aidanknight.com/

New Video: Twin River- "Can't Keep This Alive"

Vancouver 5 piece Twin River released their Rough Gold EP earlier this Summer, but the group recently signed on board with the folks at Light Organ Records. Keeping the good vibes rolling the band just unveiled their new video for the EP's opening track "Can't Keep This Alive."
 
Twin River - Can't Keep This Alive from Light Organ Records on Vimeo.


http://twinriver.bandcamp.com/

Song of the Week: Bootstraps- "Sleeping Giant"

The self titled debut from Los Angeles outfit,
Bootstraps has been on heavy repeat the past several weeks for me, in my iPod, in my car, at home, you name it. The disc is so rock steady that it's been one of those albums that with each new listen I think I have a new favorite track. This week it's the shuffling beauty of, "Sleeping Giant" that's been working it's magic. Give it a spin below and stream the whole album over on the bands Souncloud page here if you like what you here.



http://bootstrapsmusic.com/
https://twitter.com/bootstrapsmusic

New Dan Mangan- Radicals 7" Single

I''m a big fan of Vancouver singer/songwriter Dan Mangan. In fact his 2011 release Oh Fortune made my Best Album of 2011 list with standout tracks like, "Post-War Blues" and "Rows of Houses." So I was pleasantly surprised to wake up with new music from Mangan in my inbox this morning in the form of a new 7-inch single, Radicals. 'The new release comes out digitally on October 16,  and features the song "We Want To Be Pleasantly Surprised, Not Expectedly Let Down", an outtake from his Oh Fortune sessions, as well as a cover of the Yukon Blonde track "Stairway."  
A physical version of the 7-inch will be available at all live shows, check out his website for all the tour dates HERE.


and check out a great live version of "Rows of Houses" off of his '11 release 'Oh Fortune'  below.  


http://www.danmanganmusic.com

Get to Know: Wickerbird-'The Crow Mother'

If intimate, dreamy folk tunes are your thing, then you need to seriously run out and get the new album, The Crow Mother from Wickerbird. The small solo project is the creation of Washington native, Blake Cowan. The LP was recorded deep in the woods of Washington state, and you can almost feel it in your bones when listening. The ambient and minimalist tones shine through, especially on the song, "The Fold." Give a watch to the video for the track below and tell me that the imagery doesn't fit the song perfectly.
You can also stream The Crow Mother in full over at Wickerbird's bandcamp page, where you can purchase it for only five dollars. Well worth it.



http://www.facebook.com/Wickerbird

New Video: The Alabama Shakes-"I Ain't the Same"

One of the big buzz bands of 2012 and deservedly so,  the Alabama Shakes have ridden a wave of success off of their soulful old school vibes. Their debut LP, Boys and Girls is full of goodness including the album track,  “I Ain’t The Same,” which they just released a new video for. It was directed by Jane Pollard and it is set at The Kinks singer Ray Daives Konk Studios in London.




more at http://www.alabamashakes.com/