And If My Heart Should Somehow Stop...

Please excuse me, I'm about to gush. Again.

Sometimes an album comes along that it is so sweetly unexpected it takes you thoroughly by surprise, and as the days go by and you listen to it again, and yet again, your sense of joy and wonder grows with each listening.
I hate to draw comparisons. I do. Because it seems so unfair. And as with a lot of people starting out James Vincent McMorrow has had his fair share of them, and while I do see why they have been drawn I also have to say that he has achieved something really extraordinary with this his debut album, Early In The Morning.

I never thought I'd say this, but this is an album that is now jostling with Bon Iver at the top of my all-time-favourites. Every time my favourite song ends and my finger hovers over the repeat button, the next one comes on and I think, 'Oh! No, this one's my favourite...' There is not a single song on it that doesn't make my heart soar or skip a beat. It is sweeping, it is cinematic, and somehow at the same time it is understated and subtle.

Take a listen here.

I am hesitant about saying this but in my book...this is perfect. And I am amazed at myself saying this, truly, but as time goes by and I continue to listen to it my wonder only grows. It may be the fact that he is from Dublin and for all the incredible music that has come out of this country there has never been anything like this. I think that may be what makes it so unexpected. I agree with whoever it was that said it's the best thing to come out of Ireland in the last ten years.

And did I mention the fact that he plays every instrument on the album? But it's his voice that does it for me. An incredible voice that at times soars heavenwards like Jeff Buckley's, and then like a swallow it swoops into a husky tenderness that is heart wrenching, with melancholic undertones of someone like Ray Lamontagne.

But for all the comparisons, this man has found his own voice, and his songs are undeniably remarkable.

Truly James Vincent McMorrow has added something beautiful to the world.

This is a rather lovley fan made video of one of my favourite(!) tracks:
~If I Had A Boat~

Have One On Me.

Please excuse me, I'm about to gush...

Here is a lady I fell in love with the first time I heard her insanely unique voice back in 2004 when her first album The Milk-Eyed Mender came out. I could not believe Joanna Newsom was only 22, so confident and distinct was her sound. Today I cannot recall where I heard of her, but I have a suspicion it was a review in a magazine upon the strength of which I dropped heavy hints to Jay as my birthday was approaching. And bless him he came up with the goods and I have been a huge fan ever since.

Her second album Ys came out two years later and while it didn't have the same impact on me it's still an incredible album.

And now, four years on again she has brought out what I think is her best album to date, Have One On Me. I am completely smitten all over again. And I have to say the four years were not wasted at all, as there is a new maturity to her sound which is stunning.

Even though as a fan it's very annoying, I kind of like the fact that she doesn't have a website, or a myspace site, although there is a plethora of fan ones! And I cannot begin to tell you how ridiculously upset I was that she came as far as London on her European tour and didn't come to Dublin this time...*sniff*

So I'll leave you with this fan video of one of my favourite songs off the album.

Sublime is a word that comes to mind...

Oh My God, Charlie Darwin!

I've been enjoying so much new music lately that if I could find the time I'd have a song a day to post here. But given that I don't, I have to be content with once or twice a week, and in doing so I invariably skip over songs that I was enjoying earlier in the week.

So, it's Sunday afternoon, and the sun is shining and the children are running around the garden in the hazy light that teases us with memories of summer. And this here is what is playing in my kitchen. A sweet, soulful, dreamy song that makes me feel as though we have all the time in the world.

Hear more of The Low Anthem here. The second song 'To Ohio' is another favourite I have on repeat, along with the above 'Charlie Darwin.' There is also a gorgeous stop-animation official video to this too which you can see here, but my love of live music overrides even that, and I just had to post a live video.

Hope you had a lovely weekend. Enjoy!

The Coolest Shop In The World!

Well, a few weeks ago I was alerted to the fact that my favourite shop in the world now has a blog. I can't remember when I first discovered Pedlars, it was certainly a few years back and may have been in an interiors magazine that I first saw it mentioned. Over the years, from the time I first received their lovely catalogue into my letterbox, although I would not necessarily have been a big spender, I have bought a number of things and poured longingly over many more.

I'm not sure what it is they have that makes it so appealing, but I suspect it has a lot to do with their manifesto: Stuff We Love That You'll Love Too. In other words, they buy and sell stuff they they love, and they happen to have the most amazing taste in the world, which in turn makes it so appealing to the likes of me! 

One thing I immediately loved when I first flicked through their catalogue was not just the diversity of products, or the overriding sense of fun, or even the downright coolness of it, but the broad range of prices. Here was a shop that had divine lighting that cost hundreds, but they also had pocket-money stuff that not only could the kids afford, but that they actually really wanted! Of course a bit of investigating showed that of course they had lots of children themselves. And they lived in a beautiful house in the wilds of Scotland. As well as the most amazing holiday home which you can rent. And lots of dogs. And all I could think was, darn it, these guys have it perfect. (I'm sure they would laugh at that, but we have to have heros, don't we?)

(By the way this is NOT the holiday home!)

In their own words: 'we also have an organic farm in Scotland and a Christmas Tree farm, too. We have six children, four dogs, lots of horses and ponies and three chickens. We live in Scotland and in London and we have a fruit and vegetable farm in Wales. We are constantly on the look out for things that interests us.'

Sigh...

I love everything about Pedlars. They have amazing Vintage finds, fantastic homewares, brilliant fun stuff for all the family, as well as a music club that is right after my own heart. In fact there is so much more to see that I have to just recommend you take yourself on over there and have a look.
And I do think what they are doing must be the greatest job in the world. Imagine!

So if you get a chance do pop over and become a follower on their blog, and you never know but you might actually win one hundred pounds to spend in their shop! (Because they are very clever.) And even though it's lame to say I was planning to do this post anyway, ever since discovering their blog, and definitely before I did win that very amount yesterday, it is true.

Honestly!