melodyarithmetic-blog

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Bahamas- 'Lost in the Light'  I stumbled across this gem on one of my many Youtube 'suggested video' adventures. Bahamas is the stage name for Canadian artist Afie Jurvanen who has been struggling to crack the industry since 2008. He has been nominated for numerous music awards, including a Juno and the title of Songwriter of the Year, but unfortunately Bahamas hasn't gained the recognition he deserves. 'Lost in the Light' is the opening track off of his new album Banchords and I think it's brilliant. It's just so cool and refreshing as he manages to blend reggae and glimmers of gospel to his blues-and-roots indie signature style. Though  the weather can't crack past 18 degrees here Down Under, this song brings me back to Summer. Sheer bliss. 

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The Tallest Man on Earth & Idiot Wind- Working Titles This. Just, this. This is love. And not just for one another, but for the music and the words and life. 

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Castlecomer- 'Take  A Walk (Passion Pit cover)'  A friend recommended that I check out these Sydney boys, and I will thank that friend everyday for introducing me to such talent. The first time I watched one of their videos (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=OfSoNJjaWZU) I thought "Wow, the first singer is amazing", then I found out that he was actually the piano player. Every member has a beautiful voice and as such, their harmonies are absolutely perfect. Though they have only released one EP, I am super excited to see what is next in store. 

And just to add another level of praise, at the end of this video's description it states  "This was arranged and learnt in the two hours prior to shooting" Brilliant.   

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The Tallest man on Earth- 'There's No Leaving Now' Kristian Matsson's third studio album takes a new turn away from his rough and rugged-filled folk. He instead opts for a sweeter, contained sound to counterbalance the ever-present raw quality to his voice and it's simply divine. His lyrics are deeper and more magnificent, his musicality is of higher quality, and he takes even greater risks (such as the delicate use of falsetto in 'Wind and Walls'). The undertones of Bobby are present, but the comparisons are redundant. His sound is unique and distinctive.  His title track is evocative and allows his voice to be the shining star; with a simple melodic piano progression for accompaniment. There's no end to the twenty nine year-old Swed's talent, and it would be safe to say that he will go down in history as one of, if not the, best voice in folk from the past ten years.

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Ball Park Music- 'It's Nice to be Alive' Ball Park Music are an Australian indie pop group who are taking the country by storm, recently selling out a nation wide tour. This song is nothing more and nothing less than pure fun. It's rainbows and sunshine and lollipops and everything sweet in the world. Sometimes that's all you need from a song; a couple of minutes to forget life and all of its trouble and say "Hey, It's nice to be alive". 

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Fleet Foxes- 'Blue Spotted Tail'  I love folk music. I always have. My sister mocks me by muttering under her breath "That's because he doesn't have a beard" whenever I disapprove of an artist. But wild facial hair or not, I find such overwhelming satisfaction in the perfect harmonica ballad or Dylan-esque raw and rich vocal styling. Fleet Foxes provides the authenticity and vulnerability that I long for in a good folk song. They are the epitome of outstanding harmonies and intriguing instrumentals. This is a stripped down and re-verbed version of one of their most famous songs, which does not necessarily showcase their intricate unity. But it hits a nerve; makes your body shiver; and forces arm hairs to stand on its ends. It moves you. Which, in my opinion, is the most important facet of folk. 

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Ben Lee- 'Ben Lee' (COVER)  Whatever happened to Ben Lee? He is now forever defined as the 'Catch My Disease' guy. But I love his collection of music. It's fun and quirky and brightens your day. But over the past years his career has died somewhat. People have lost interest, and it's sad. But with a new year comes a new chance for Lee to revive himself. And with a new album on the way, his opportunity is drawing ever so near.  This is a hilarious acoustic cover of a song written about his career by a band named Ataris, and it exemplifies why I love Ben Lee; because he doesn't take himself too seriously. 

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Hannah Anderson- 'Safe and Sound (COVER)' I can't fathom why this girl isn't a famous recording artist yet. She is a gem. Her guitar skills are insane, and her voice is a breathe of fresh air. It's delicate, but intentional delicacy. Subscribe to her, please. 

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Underrated Artist #2: Dry the River

http://www.rollingstone.com/videos/new-and-hot/dry-the-river-perform-bible-belt-at-spotify-house-20120317

Pete's voice is other-worldly. It's raw, authentic, fragile, surprising and mountains better than majority of so-called 'music' out there. Why is their fan base so small? People are so silly.  They deserve so much more.  

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Fanfarlo- 'Finish Line' Do not let their hipster-ific fashion style scare you away; Fanfarlo's performance at Bandstand Busking is far from cliche. Hey that rhymed. Cool.   

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Artist Submission

Hey

Hey, I’m Ed Tullett. I was going through my Tumblr and saw that you like Bon Iver, so I thought you might like my own stuff! :) My music is falsetto/harmony rich acoustic stuff, with some banjo and other stuff thrown in. You can find the link to my music on my Tumblr if you want to have a listen (the album is free to download!), or just go here:www.edtullett.bandcamp.com. Would mean a lot if you did, and told me what you think! Thanks, Ed.

You can never go wrong with a banjo, that’s all I will say! But seriously, for an upcoming artist, his sound is established. Further complexity is needed within instrumentals, as they are quite simple progressions, and his voice seems weak at times- I much prefer the lower octave in 'Ribboned Blood'. But overall, it's quality stuff. The harmonies are lovely, and the juxtaposition of soft falsetto with harsh banjo works surprisingly well. Very excited as to where his sound will be heading in the near future. Most definitely worth a listen.

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Bon Iver- 'I can't Make you Love Me' Now this is how you cover a song. Some of Bon Iver's later material has been a tad so-so, but boy can Vernon sing. His voice radiates with pure beauty. My body shivers  and tingles and it reminds me of how much I freaking love music. 

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Of Monsters and Men- 'Little Talk' Probably one of the best videos I have ever seen. Just watch, even if you don't like the music.  

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Polyphonic Spree- ‘Lithium’  I never thought I’d hear the day when a fun-loving, hippy-esque psychedelic band decided to cover the raw grunge of Nirvana. But it did. And I heard it. Twenty three times over, to be precise. Nirvana fanatics will probably despise it, but as a big Nirvana fan I found myself falling in love with it all; the high pitched backing vocalists, the harp, the lively dancing. They transformed this song into a liberating anthem about alternative love, and I think it’s freaking awesome!

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Parachutes- 'Paper Birds' If you like Sigur Ros, or experimental music in the slightest, listen to this. That is all. 

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The Libertines- 'What Became of the Likely Lads' On a different note, this is one of my favourite Doherty gifts to the world. It's fun, great to head bang to, and it's just so British! 

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Villagers-'The Meaning of the Ritual' There should be no argument if one were to state that Conor J O'Brien's voice is one of a kind. Every time my iPod is on shuffle and a Villagers song decides to pop up, I can instantly recognise his notably powerful, yet sweet vocal stylings. This acoustic session is filmed from Conor's home in a series of intimate recordings. They are all whimsical and individual pieces of loveliness.