Evening Hymns.

I have posted a live version of this song before, but I recently came across the video for it, and as it's such a gorgeous song I couldn't help posting it again!

Festival, Fair and True.

Lately I'm loving the gorgeous music of these sisters, I just love their voices. Their music fits nicely into my penchant for all things faintly gothic, at the moment. Unfortunately my favourite song, a swooner called 'Come Outside', is not on youtube yet, (apart from a live version that does it no justice) so I thought I'd post this lovely, rather traditional sounding song.

However, I was amazed to this this unexpectedly hilarious video for their song 'Valentine. Not at all what I would have thought to see, and so all the more refreshing. These girls have a sense of humour. :-)

Orion Rigel Dommisse.

Some long overdue, new updates of what I have been listening to. Now that autumn is here I hope to be a bit more regular posting here. Even if it's just for me! :-)

The Middle East.

I think this is one of my all time favourite songs, and I've only just seen the video for it now. And what a gorgeous, beautiful, sad video it is. *sniff*

Something Lovely.

Dark Dark Dark. And so beautiful. I love how the drummer cannot take his eyes off her.... <3

Our Summer Soundtrack.

TV GIRL! These guys were our summer soundtrack. Perfect for the drive to the beach!

Something Sweet.

Ohbijou, I do love you! So sweet.

'Joy, It's All Founded...'

I have waited years for this. 

And while I have loved, absolutely, and without prejudice, everything Justin Vernon has done since 'For Emma, Forever Ago', and 'Blood Bank', all his solo projects, be it the experimental Volcano Choir, or the 80's soft-rock inspired Gayngs, this, this is what I have been waiting for....

And I am in no way disappointed. Bon Iver has not let us down. With a new album finally due out next month, this newly released single, Calgary, is just everything I hoped it would be. Oh my heart....

Except...well, maybe I am a tad devastated to miss getting tickets to see him in Dublin in November..... Something else I have been anticipating like nothing else for years.

Okay....I am heartbroken. :-(

Sufjan was Stupendous!

A dream come true, seeing Sufjan Stevens live. And the show lived up to everything I had hoped for. There was wings. And confetti. And balloons. And spaceships. And day glo. And dancing girls. And dancing Sufjan. And he was sweet and so dang FUNNY! What an amazing night!



For entertainment alone it is now joint best gig with Jónsi in London.

Summer Is Just Around The Bend.

A bit more mainstream than my usual cup of tea, but I've been enjoying Mr. Johnson's most recent album in the car with the kids. It has that nice summery feel that gets your juices flowing. Bring on the sunshine!

City and Colour.

I cannot explain what this man's voice does to me. Cannot explain why I can listen to it on loop. For days. Or that I will even listen to his other band, the post-hardcore Alexisonfire,  just to hear his voice soar in between other vocalist George Pettit's screaming duties. Perhaps it is something about the clear ringing tones, but also I think it's the way he writes songs. It's the very best, the beauty, of post-hardcore songs, stripped down to their simplest form until it's all about the melody, and the way his voice trips over and around it.
I don't know. But I do love it....

Enjoy.

Ólof Arnalds.

Last autumn I did a post on Ólafur Arnalds, one of my favourite instrumental musicians, and more recently I discovered this lady, his cousin Ólof Arnalds, who instantly reminded me of why I love Nordic music so much.

This video is something else.

Stunning.

I am swept away.

Emilie Lund.

Born in Mora one cold day in the year 1987, raised by former hippies on a farm on the swedish countryside and now making music about looking for love and long lost childhood friends in the city of Stockholm...

Isbells.

I just discovered these folks today via Folk Radio Uk,

and I know absolutely nothing about them other than the 

fact that I am totally smitten.....

Haruko Has A Tale To Tell.

Here is something delightful. 

A lady about whom it is difficult to find much information about other than the fact that she is German, Haruko's music has clear echoes of other musicians I have posted here such as Ghost Bees, Mariee Sioux , or even Joanna Newsom, but all with a swooning 60's folk loveliness.

Have a listen and see what you think.

Yes, I think it's time the ladies got a bit more coverage here.
Watch this space for some updates of the girl-ish kind.

William Fitzsimmons.

Now here is someone who's music has just crept up on me in the most lovely way. William Fitzsimmons was one of those people who, every time one of his songs was played on my Last.fm Brown Bird Radio station, I'd almost always stop what I was doing to check who it was I was hearing. So, when I saw his name repeatedly noted in my ever present notebook for collecting just such names, naturally I took myself off to Spotify to have a proper listen. I quickly discovered that his songs have the ability it just rip my heart out in the best possible way. It was his album The Sparrow and the Crow that I first listened to and I was instantly hooked. It was Jay who pointed out that his voice is quite different to your usual singer/songwriter style of singing and I think this is one of the reasons why I love it.

Have a listen here to this acoustic version of one of my favourite songs.

He also has an EP called Derivatives which is a number of remixes of some of his songs,

 (and includes a rather sweet cover of I kissed A Girl!) 

and this song below which is a remix of the same song as above
zs and I confess is on a pretty regular loop here. 

Have a listen. 

You can hear more of his music here, including songs from his new album Gold In The Shadow, which so far sounds just a sweetly sublime as his previous work.

And of course he has the most impressive beard since David Lamb of Brown Bird!

Yeasayer.

Another band from NY, and while I don't have a lot of their music 

this favourite song of theirs is on many, many playlists of mine.

Ghost Bees.

Just adore these ladies.

Like Ms. Newsom's strange cousins that were found in the attic...

Freelance Whales.

Really loving this band from New York at the moment!

Beach House.

How on earth have I not posted Beach House before now?

Wow...

Well, time to remedy that!

Beautiful, uplifting, sublime.

Enjoy.

One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong.

This week's music has been mixed, with continued leanings towards the ambient and the quiet,

but at some point almost every day I have listened to one or all of Gregory Alan Isakov's albums. 

So I thought I share this little gem with you. It's a cover from his last album, 2009's 

'This Empty Northern Hemisphere', of a favourite Leonard Cohen song of mine. This live version is with Brandi Carlile who sings so beautifully on the album with him.

I hope you enjoy it!
(And you can listen to more from Mr. Isakov here.)

Slipping Softly Back Into Quietude.

Hammock: Breathturn.

Heartsoaringly beautiful, quietly haunting.

Indelibly moving.

Mariee Sioux.

Another new discovery for me is this lady Mariee Sioux. 

I love her take on folk, and puts me in mind of a modern Buffy St. Marie, only sweeter, in a Jewel way.

So nice to meet you Mariee Sioux!

My Musical Highlights of 2010!

What a year for music! 

Each morning when I rise, the first thing I do is open my laptop on the kitchen counter, plug in the speakers and open either iTunes or Spotify, depending on whether I have a current obsession, or am in the mood for something new. And oh the wondrous places I have been transported to! 

So a quick recap of my highlights. Not all were released last year, but all were new to me and on my 'repeat' playlists for some time.

James Vincent McMorrow's album 'Early In The Morning'. A flawlessly beautiful album. Read my thoughts on it here. 

Phosphorescent's album 'Here's To Taking It Easy'. 

Matthew and the Atlas. Two EP's on loop, 'Kingdom Of Your Own' and 'To The North'. 

Joanna Newsom's new, three disc album, 'Have One On Me', a stunning offering. Sorry, she doesn't do myspace, or the internet in any way so no links to hear any of the album. But you can have a listen to a couple of my favourite tracks here.

Band of Horses new album 'Infinite Arms.'

There are so many more bands and musicians I have been listening to, I couldn't begin to list them all, but most of them are here on ~Carnival~ somewhere back in my posts, and I have a few other posts lined up for the New Year on my eclectic range of genres that somehow seem to fit together in my head!

2010 was a wonderful year for gigs. The previous year saw me take my eye off the ball and miss three or four gigs that I really regretted, so I made sure to keep tabs on all my favourite musicians so as not to miss a thing. So, considering it was a rather frugal year, money wise, and there is always the issue of babysitters to be found, I have to say, looking back, I didn't do too badly!

February was Midlake, in Vicar St. Dublin. 

June was James Vincent McMorrow, in Whelan's, Dublin. 

July was Bonnie 'Prince' Billy in Whelan's, Dublin.

September was Iron & Wine and The Low Anthem in Belfast.

and also Joanna Newsom in Dublin.

November was Jónsi in London!

So here's to a New Year, and to new discoveries, and new releases. I can't wait to see what musical offerings 2011 brings!