I’m back in cold old Boston, and back to google reader-enhanced music discovery.
Firstly, folk sorceress Laura Marling is back with a new video, a new hairdo and a bigger sound. (I stole much of that line from the Guardian. Very apt.)
Secondly, Vampire Weekend is out with their second album, Contra. More Graceland-punk! It’s currently Billboard #1. Who says popular music has to suck?
You can sample it on grooveshark. The song “Cousins” also has a kick-ass video.
And thirdly, Midlake’s much-anticipated (by me at least!) second album is out. Well, technically it hasn’t been released yet, but you can grooveshark it. I haven’t decided if I dig it yet, but it’s growing on me. Their first album — a somber mix of Americana and melodic 70s soft-rock — is one of my all-time favourites now. Since August ’08 it has been permanently associated with the ghat road connecting Gudalur to Ooty. I listened to it on a KSRTC bus early one morning on my way home from Bangalore. It seemed to fit perfectly with the pre-dawn scenery of the upper Nilgiris.
I am unlikely to upload mp3s any more, but they’re easy enough to find. And for full albums just search for rapidshare links.
Here’s wishing everyone a musically satisfying year and decade!
Mr Brightside
baajuhut
Maggie
djamwal
N
I wasn’t all that fond of Vampire Weekend’s first album, but ‘Graceland punk’ sounds fun enough to be worth a try.
Methinks the first album was Graceland punk too… but perhaps you’ll like this one better! Both are highly recommended.
hoi!
The Vampire weekend sound is def unlike anything I’ve heard before. Is that what they call it Graceland Punk?
And Midlake clearly decided to go a little more acoustic sounding with this new one. I’ll try not to judge it based on my expectations from the last album.
Well everyone compares them to Paul Simon’s Graceland album. Graceland-punk is a sort of summary of all the reviews I’ve read.