Tag Archive for Indie

6th December 2012

Alt-J* – Tessellate (NAT)

I know I am very late on these guys. I meant to post them earlier in the year but didn’t get around to it. I was reminded of them when reading NME’s top 50 albums of 2012.

Alt-J are from Leeds and really came to prominence this year when their debut album An Awesome Wave won the Mercury prize.

/RjK

*Artist #569

21st November 2012

Broken Social Scene – Sweetest Kill

A mellow, sombre track to steady myself in the middle of a busy week. It is taken from Canadian band Broken Social Scene’s fourth album Forgiveness Rock Record which was released a couple of years ago.

In other news I went to see The Picture of Dorian Gray last night in the Abbey Theatre. As you might imagine it was fairly dark but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

/RjK

17th November 2012

Yeah Yeah Yeahs* – Maps (Helen Chandler guest post)

This song never loses its ability to bring a bit of a wobble to the chin. Or at least to make you think you might like a good cry. About 5 years ago, this song kept me company on the 46a bus to UCD nearly every day – I felt quite sorry for myself at the time and imagined that Karen O had felt pretty sorry for herself when she wrote the lyrics.
I like all of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ albums, but their first, Fever To Tell, from which ‘Maps’ was the third single, remains my favourite. Its final track, Y Control, might be in a top 20 list of my all-time favourite songs, if I were ever forced to make one. And while I’m showering praise on them, I might as well put the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ 2009 gig at St George’s Market in Belfast among my favourite ever gigs.
/HC
*Artist #555

31st October 2012

Arcade Fire – Headlights look like diamonds

I was walking home through some outstandingly rubbish weather on Saturday night (driving, freezing rain – jackpot) and this came on my MP3 player, thankfully putting a little spring in my step.

This is one of Canadian Band Arcade Fire’s earlier tracks of their eponymous 2003 EP.

/RjK

27th October 2012

Feist* – Past in present

I haven’t got too much to say about this. It was a favourite from Berkeley and it came into my head this week. I supposed I quite like the theme of the song and certainly agree with it.

So much past inside my present…

/RjK

*Artist #545

9th October 2012

Elliot Smith – Son of Sam

Elliot Smith has featured heavily in the soundtrack to my week. As you might imagine, this is not a very positive indicator about my mood. I’m not sure why but I seem to have been in something of a funk for the past few days. The initial boost of enthusiasm brought on by a change of scenery must have worn off. I am sure I will snap out of it before too long.

This track is taken off the very enjoyable if somewhat morose Figure 8, which was the last album Elliot Smith completed before his death. On a brighter note, it is one of my favourite album sleeves being simple but  quite effective.

Figure 8:
/RjK

7th October 2012

Broken Social Scene – Bandwitch

This is my idea of Sunday night music. Hushed and mellow, it is just the kind of thing to calm a mind racing with thoughts of the week ahead.

Canadian collective Broken Social Scene featured heavily in the soundtrack to the year I spent in Berkeley, California and as such, always raise a smile anytime I hear them.

/RjK

18th September 2012

Modest Mouse* – Float On

iPod song #3. Apologies the music hasn’t been too fresh over the past few days. I promise to attend to some research over the coming days. Hopefully this will bear fruit with some exciting new tracks.

I mentioned earlier in the week that I felt one of the signs of a good song is it’s ability to stay with you after you listen to it. This must be one of the most infectious guitar riffs I know.

/RjK

*Artist *519

Jeff Buckley – Lover, you should’ve come over

This is taken from the late, great Jeff Buckley’s spectacular 1994 album Grace. His was a tragic story; he died far too young and was the son of the richly talented Tim Buckley who also died before his time.
Grace was the first album that made me realise there was a whole universe of spectacular music that existed beyond what I heard on the radio. I found it in my father’s collection. There was something arresting about the album cover (backdrop to video), Buckley’s stoic pose struck a chord. I am very glad it caught my eye.
/RjK