David Bazan - Wolves at the Door

David Bazan has been around the music scene for some time.  He started off in his hometown of Seattle in the early 1990s with the band The Guilty, but was better known as the lead singer and creative force behind Pedro the Lion and also Headphones.

Pedro the Lion in particular were best known as a Christian-themed band.  However Bazan has now publicly lost his faith and his latest music as a solo artist springs directly out of this.  Wolves at the Door http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZ0jNuBejog comes from his latest album, Strange Negotiations, and it is a song about blindly trusting those who will offer you the world and then take your money and destroy your family. 

Strong Negotiations is a very strong collection of songs, well worth a listen.  You can do so for free on Bazan's website and download some of his tracks for free.   The video here on Music Truffler is of an excellent live acoustic version of the featured track.



http://www.davidbazan.com/

Xander and the Peace Pirates - I'll Be Here

Xander and The Peace Pirates are currently the resident band at The Cavern in Liverpool on Sunday nights.  I would strongly recommend you check them out if you can.  Before last night I hadn't heard them play, but they were the support band for the wonderful Vintage Trouble and I have to say, they were fantastic.

If you like blues/rock with a little bit of funk thrown in for good measure then this band won't disappoint.  The fact that they have paid their dues at the clubs shows in the way they are able to work the crowd and they have a confident stage presence and excellent musicianship which is important in these days of wannabe pop stars/X Factor and the like.  To get a feel for them, check out the video of I'll Be Here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxYqZO99X28

How about this for name dropping?  They have opened for Bon Jovi (they won the Real Radio Battle of the Bands competition to secure this slot), and have played alongside Keith Richards, Albert Lee, Jeff Beck and Steve Cropper.   Influences are Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Bill Withers, Lenny Kravitz and John Mayer.   The band is fronted by Keith Xander "the one-armed wonder" who uses his left hand on the fretboard and a right prosthetic limb with a hook to play the strings.  In a recent newspaper article, his mum has said “Keith is remarkable to watch because he has no right arm and once I said he would never be able play guitar but now he really wipes the floor with everyone else. If there is such a thing as a God-given gift then he has it".

I was standing at the back during last night's gig and hadn't even realised for much of the set that he only had one arm.  You can't tell at all by listening, and all you notice is what a fantastic guitarist he is. What fantastic players they all are, to be fair.

Their latest album, 11, is available to buy on iTunes and Amazon and to listen to via Spotify.  Although great to be able to play their songs at home, it is really no comparison to the excitement created by the band playing live, so get over to The Cavern and see them as soon as possible.

http://xanderandthepeacepirates.com/

Blitzen Trapper - Christmas Is Coming Soon

Blitzen Trapper's Christmas offering is a quiet little number called Christmas Is Coming Soon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL_O_ywujSQ which references small town life and has an unusual take on Santa.


Singer Eric Earley says that the track "is about the real Santa Claus, who we all know lives in southern Oregon in a double wide trailer and drinks too much peppermint schnapps from a straw."

Their recent album, American Goldwing, is one of my top 10 albums of 2011 and I am looking forward to hearing more from these guys next year.  Is it too much to hope for them to tour the UK?  

http://blitzentrapper.net/

David Mead - The Smile of Rachael Ray

Apologies for the lack of music winging its way to you from Truffler over the past couple of weeks.  I have been having broadband problems which resulted in me not being able to listen to or research new music on line.  And now it's nearly Christmas, so I thought it might be an idea to find some Christmas songs which are not only new, but are different to the usual run of the mill types we hear year after year after year after year after year after year..... 

The Smile of Rachael Ray by Nashville based singer songwriter David Mead http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJZxBoB2F4 is a rather sad little story song with not a jingle bell in sight.  It comes from David's latest album, Dudes, which was released in November of this year.  He has toured extensively over the years and has opened Joe Jackson, Fountains of Wayne, John Mayer, Ron Sexsmith, Liz Phair and Shelby Lynne.  Considering it is his 7th album, I am ashamed to admit I am not familiar with his music at all, but really must get round to checking some of it out as I rather like this track.

By the way if, like me, you have no idea who Rachael Ray is, I can tell you she is an American celebrity chef.    

http://www.davidmead.com/

Mariachi El Bronx - 48 Roses

The Bronx is a hardcore punk band formed in 2002 in Los Angeles.  Having gained some success with their albums and style, in 2007 they decided to release two albums. The first would be the in their usual style and the second would be a mariachi (Mexican style) album.  The band continued to tour under both names at festivals in the US and UK and have released their second mariachi album (Mariachi El Bronx II) a couple of months ago.  

They performed the track here,  48 Roses, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRnAHX4bf0s on The Jay Leno show at the time of the album's release.  Tracks by The Bronx are available on YouTube should you wish to compare the style differences. 

I enjoy mariachi music but am no expert, however to my ears, it sounds pretty good.  Only two members of the band are of Hispanic descent (one is the son of a member of Los Lobos) so it's laudable that they appear to have managed to write and sing well in both styles without sounding contrived. 

http://www.mariachielbronx.com/

Husky - Dark Sea

Husky are an Australian band who don't particularly sound Australian.  I've been asked to justify this statement and, to be honest, I can't really.  After all take a listen to The Walkabouts who are American and have just released their latest brilliant album but who definitely sound Australian.  OK maybe it's just me. (I always think Arcade Fire sound Australian too - The Triffids have a lot to answer for, I guess!)

Anyway, Husky are a new band to me who are quite difficult to research, bearing in mind that they share a name with a popular breed of dog and also at least a couple of other bands across the decades.  They were brought to my attention last week and although I am trying to steer away from the sudden influx of beards and acoustic instruments heading this way at the moment, I keep returning to their fine album Forever So which contains the track Dark Sea http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gey_wfeaHYU&feature=player_embedded  and also the idyllic Tidal Wave amongst other things.  You can stream the whole album on Soundcloud.

The band started off in their hometown of Melbourne and are now performing sell out shows across Australia and have also supported Noah and the Whale and Devandra Banhart amongst others.  'Pensive', 'dreamy' 'thoughtful' are media descriptions of the album but don't let that put you off (as it almost did me).  Make yourself a cup of coffee, put your feet up in front of a roaring fire and enjoy.


http://www.huskysongs.com/




 

Buried Beds - Steady Hand

In 2003 in Philadelphia, Eliza Jones and Brandon Beaver, who were longtime friends, formed Buried Beds, who at the time were a duo.  But over several years they have grown into a fully fledged chamber group, containing banjos, string quartets, viola, electric guitars and piano, to name but a few of the instruments.   

Their latest album, Tremble the Sails, was recorded almost entirely in Eliza's living room and was mixed by Nick Krill.  Without wishing to pigeonhole them, it is possible to hear echos of The Beach Boys in there and even ELO, which makes for an interesting mix.  They are very popular on the Philly live circuit and like the previous Truffler featured band, they have also been known to cover a Kate Bush song - Hounds of Love this time .  This particular song is a live version of a track from the album, Steady Hand.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM5jDvudLbM


If you are wondering about the name, the story goes that during the yellow fever epidemic back in the early days of Philadelphia, the city made everybody bury their bed to curb the spread of the disease. Meaning essentially, Philadelphia is built on buried beds.  So now you know.

http://www.buriedbeds.com/index.html

Treefight for Sunlight - Facing The Sun

Well it may be winter, but it's still relatively mild here in the UK and I am still dreaming of the summer days we didn't really get this year and those we hope will arrive in 2012.  So this track fits my mood nicely.  From the forthcoming US album release "A Collection of Vibrations for your Skull" this is Danish Band Treefight for Sunlight with Facing the Sun http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVxTDmDXcAM

The band cite their influences as The Beach Boys and the paisley underground scene.  Great harmonies and jingling jangling guitars abound here and although it seems to be over too quickly, it actually comes in at just under 4 minutes.

Looking their work up on YouTube, I discovered they cover Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights. I definitely can't recommend that one - there is something very wrong there - although their own stuff is well worth spending a bit of time on.

http://www.treefightforsunlight.com/

Juan Zelada - The Blues Remain

I have been hovering a bit over posting this song.  When I went to see Michael Kiwanuka last week (where I also saw and posted a song by Dan Croll), Juan Zelada was the guy I missed because I arrived too late.  The song The Blues Remain, which is being touted around the radio stations is slick and the stuff of Radio 2 dreams.  Of course he's talented but I wasn't sure if it was for me.  However this version of just Zelada and his piano is much more to my taste.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EjPqMQFWS4&feature=related

We have become a bit of a global music site here at Truffler - bands and musicians with backgrounds ranging across UK and Ireland, the US, Canada, Iran, Belgium, Italy, New Zealand and now, with Juan Zelada, we have reached Spain.  Spanish born Zelada arrived in London a few years ago and immediately set about making a name for himself by creating something of a buzz around the live circuit.  Being a prolific songwriter as well as an accomplished pianist and guitarist, it wasn't long before he could be found supporting the likes of Amy Winehouse and writing sessions with members of Duran Duran.  Like Dan Croll, he is a former LIPA student and whilst there, was presented with an award for songwriting from Paul McCartney.

So I decided that by not including him on here, I was maybe being a little unfair.  I do wish I'd managed to catch his live though set as I'd then have a much more realistic view of his songwriting and performing, unspoiled by over-polished production. There is a large back catalogue of work though so if Zelada appeals to you, take a look through YouTube and his website.  I'll be doing the same.

http://www.juanzelada.com

Passafire - Hard to Believe

Passafire are a new band to me even though they are on their fourth studio album.  Called Start From Scratch, it features the track Hard to Believe, the acoustic version of which can be seen and heard here  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btyoz503F1M
The recorded version is available as a free download at the moment.  

Hailing from Savannah, Georgia (they met at Savannah College of Art and Design) the the band claim to combine roots reggae, progressive rock and experimental dub to create a sound all of their own.  They tour relentlessly - often in excess of 300 shows a year - but appear to stick mainly to the States, which probably explains why I haven't come across them before.  

http://passafiretheband.com

King Mob - Selene Selene

King Mob are great fun.  This particular track, Selene Selene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F8wZ4uvh8s is available as a free download and I fell for it even before I knew who the individuals were.  They are, in fact, some of pop and rock's greatest names, some or all of whom will be familiar to all of us.  Try this for size - Chris Spedding (Roxy Music, Elton John, John Cale, Paul McCartney and  The Wombles - he was Wellington of course!), Glen Matlock – bass (Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop, Faces), Martin Chambers – drums (Pretenders), Stephen W Parsons aka Snips – vocals (film composer and vocalist of legendary Seventies band Sharks) and introducing new guitarist, Sixteen.

I was searching for some rockier music than I've been listening to of late and along with the obvious rock and role stance, this also reminds me some of the rockabilly stuff I was listening to in the 1980s. Great memories.  And as the band themselves say "we’re the scum of England’s treasure and we wear our sins with pride."

Their album, Force 9, was released on 31st October and they will be playing a one off gig in London at 229 The Venue on 17th November.  

Dan Croll - Home

I went to see Michael Kiwanuka at The Shipping Forecast in Liverpool last night.  As one of only two acts to feature more than once here on Music Truffler, I wasn't surprised to find his set highly enjoyable.  There were also two support acts but unfortunately I only managed to see one (due to circumstances too complicated to go into here).  The act I did see was Dan Croll and he played an impressive set.  You can hear one of the songs, Home, here  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H1rZxUApq0

Dan, who grew up in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme, is a LIPA student.   At the beginning of 2011 he was one of 6 most promising students from UK higher education institutions chosen by their peers to compete head to head for a reward of £5,000 to support and further their music career.  Previous winners include The Wombats.  Dan won, of course.

Dan also fronts Liverpool indie rockers Dire Wolfe.


http://www.dancroll.com/

Alabama Shakes - Hold On

Together since May 2009, Alabama Shakes started off as The Shakes, defining themselves as a soul revival/rock and roll band.   Consisting of Brittany Howard, Zac Cockrell, Steve Johnson and Heath Fogg, they have been together since high school and regularly sell out gigs in the US.   Strangely, at the time of writing this they remain unsigned, although an ep of songs is available to buy via their website and they hope to release an album in the not too distant future.

The track Hold On http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQXbf1i24C8 
showcases Brittany Howard's impressive vocals and this video and others reveal them to have a professionalism beyond their years.  Unfortunately there isn't much information about them on the web but it's probably best to let me music speak for itself. 

http://www.alabamashakes.com/

Mozart Parties - Black Cloud

This newly released track by Mozart Parties, Black Cloud, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97ES9ScO_6I certainly benefits from repeated playings.  I decided I liked it enough to feature it on here and then kept playing it while looking on YouTube and various music sites.  Before long I was hooked on the gentle vocals, subtle harmonies and, most of all, that wonderful bassline. 

Mozart Parties, aka James Bennet, began songwriting when he moved from London to the Lake District and became inspired by his surroundings. This track is self-released but listening to other tracks on MySpace and elsewhere I am certain he won't remain unsigned for long.  And although this song concerns depression, I find it strangely uplifting.  But maybe that's just me.

The Phoenix Foundation - Bright Grey

The Phoenix Foundation are from Wellington, New Zealand and took their name from the fictional organisation featured in the TV programme McGyver.  Their sound is indie rock/psychedelia and despite being formed in 1997, they have only recently been gaining in popularity over here since signing with UK label Memphis Industries and touring the UK and Europe at the start of this year.

Their latest album, Buffalo, has been praised by critics however their single here, Bright Grey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o87HdCm7CfQ comes originally from their previous album Happy Ending.  It now forms part of a 6 track bonus ep included with the Buffalo Deluxe Edition, available exclusively through iTunes.  

The Guardian has said ‘’Song writing this good doesn’t come along often…..an album that already seems destined to be among the best of 2011.’’  And The Independent said "The most potent band to come out of New Zealand since the far-off days of the Chills… Gorgeous.”


http://thephoenixfoundation.tumblr.com/

To Kill A King - Bloody Shirt

Another Communion band!  I didn't know when I first heard this - honest.

Anyway, To Kill A King are from Leeds and were formed by Ralph Pelleymounter, Ian Dudfield and Josh Platman in 2009 when they were at Leeds University.  At the time they were called Kid iD but changed their name to To Kill A King when joined by Jonathan Willoughby and Ben Jackson later that same year.

Their first release, an ep entitled My Crooked Saint, was released on 17th October from which this track, Bloody Shirt, is taken  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMlogROPGhw&ob=av2e and there is also a video release for each track that together tell a story (which may explain why I didn't have a clue what was going on in this one when I watched it).  

At first there may seem nothing particularly special about this band - it is guitar led indie/folk of which there is plenty around.  But repeated listens reveal a surprising depth, a subtle underlying harmony that adds richness to the song and yet doesn't shout to the listener how clever it is.  It doesn't need to.  Simple, memorable and it works.

Blurred Vision - Democracy

This is a new track from Iranian/Canadian band Blurred Vision called Democracy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBrPIjg4wBM  Their new album, Organised Insanity, is almost complete and some of the unmastered tracks are available to stream this week, 14-16 October, via http://vibedeck.com/blurredvision

Brothers Soheil & Sepehr Osloobi first moved to Toronto, Canada from Iran in 1988, and music helped them deal with the resulting culture shock.  You may have heard their take on Pink Floyd's Another Brick In The Wall a couple of years ago (Hey Ayatollah, Leave Those Kids Alone).

Earlier this year the band, along with Amnesty International and Roger Waters, encouraged musicians and music fans alike to join in their 'viral activism' to raise awareness for the youth of Iran.  "Events in Iran, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya demonstrate the power of young people rising up against oppression, and Blurred Vision champion this idea in our music,” says Sepp. “We’re delighted to be working with Amnesty international and with the man himself and great hero of ours, Roger Waters, lending their support to the campaign we really hope can make a difference and lead to a positive change in the region.”  Members of the public were able to follow the Facebook link and post videos of themselves on the official Hey Ayatollah Facebook page shouting "Hey (Ayatollah, Ghadafi, Assad, Saleh etc) Leave Those Kids Alone".

Along with the brothers, the band consist of Keyboardist Joel Lightman, drummer Ben Riley, and guitarist Mike Bongertman.   More information about the band, their music and their activism can be found on their website.

http://www.blurredvisionmusic.com/

Spycatcher - Don't Like People

Watford band Spycatcher released their debut album Honesty recently and this is the second single to be released from it.  Entitled Don't Like People http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_a57IF2TNg
it is a raw, energy driven number fronted by lead singer Steve Sears and has been written, recorded, mixed and produced by the band themselves at their own studio.  They have gained the reputation of being a great live act at various festivals this year and I think this will be where they will be best received because I have to admit, I did find Sears' voice grated somewhat after listening to a few of the album tracks in succession and I ended up wanting to tell him to STOP SHOUTING!!!  But there are those who love this type of thing of course (even me on another day!) and it is only a small gripe of course.  A band to watch.

dEUS - Constant Now

dEUS are a rock band from Belgium who have been around for a long time but the latest album (Keep You Close, released 3rd October) is their first in 3 years.  This track, Constant Now, was the recent single release http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqchDW5SV_Y

Formed in 1991, they were originally a covers band but once they began writing their own stuff, they quickly attracted the attention of the music industry and became the first Belgian band to sign to a major international label.  Their debut album, Worst Case Scenario, was released to critical acclaim in 1994.

Six albums later, including a break of a few years so band members could pursue various projects, and despite various band members coming and going, dEUS are still a force to be reckoned with.  Lead singer and songwriter, Tom Barman,  has lost none of his original writing spark and still continues to craft intelligent and yet listenable songs, which isn't that easy to do.  What I can't understand is why this band aren't more well-known.  Their music is accessible enough for radio airplay whilst still retaining an experimental style which will ensure their original fans remain loyal.  They have matured rather than sold out.

You can stream the album here http://soundcloud.com/deusbe/sets and decide for yourself.


http://www.deus.be/home/

The Stepkids - Suburban Dream

The Stepkids release their self-titled album officially on 27th September and it is well worth getting it on to your iPod or cd player.  Take a listen to one of the tracks, Suburban Dream, here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwbR8ubfHtY    This has been likened in one review to something that might have come from Dark Side Of The Moon.   Steely Dan, Can, Sly & The Family Stone and Yes have also been mentioned.  Bits of these bands and more can be heard in this album but they also sound refreshingly original.   The Stepkids produce, engineer and record themselves on a reel to reel and the sound can perhaps best be described as a mixture of classic soul and funk, 60s psychedelia and jazz.   The band members are all singer/songwriters whose creative input is equally distributed so any track could be written or sung by any of them.  All have played in other bands in the past and when they finally got together they simply decided to extract all the best bits from their favourite music over the years, from the 60s up to today.   And it all works surprisingly well. 

Two excellent singles have been released earlier this year (Legend In My Own Mind and Shadows On Behalf)  and the buzz around them continues to grow.  They are currently touring The States but sadly there is no sign of them coming to the UK in the near future.

http://thestepkidsband.com/

Dog Is Dead - Hands Down

Nottingham's Dog Is Dead look so young and geeky that they really shouldn't be much good.  But armed with what look like instruments from the classroom (this exact model of glockenspiel IS in fact sitting around in abundance in my local high school's music room I'm reliably told) they make a surprisingly wonderful sound here in a live version of Hands Down, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD23KfBYgJw&feature=share which will be their next single due for release on 30th October.  The recorded version is much louder and electrified but both are good. 

Dog Is Dead don't need any gimmicks because their music really does speak for itself.   They have been signed to Atlantic are supporting Bombay Bicycle Club this autumn so hopefully they will pick up some more fans along the way.   Apparently they appeared in a closing scene of series 5 of Skins (no, I don't watch it) where they played one of their singles in a marquee and were joined in song by the cast.  So do I think they will appeal just to the teen generation then?  Absolutely not.   Having been performing since 2008, they have gained a musical maturity and yet it also feels that they are not taking themselves too seriously and that will undoubtedly see them cross over to all ages in the way The Arctic Monkeys did.  Check out the tracks, Young and Glockenspiel Song and also the live videos on YouTube.

Michael Kiwanuka - I'm Getting Ready

Oh what bliss!  I have just got my hands on Michael Kiwanuka's new ep, of which I'm Getting Ready is the title track http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlXkKCa2yy0
It is the second ep release from this talented singer-songwriter and there will be an LP release (as yet untitled) in February of next year.  I also have tickets to see Michael in Liverpool next month so I that's something I'm very much looking forward to as well.

From what I can gather from Michael's blogs, Facebook page and website, ticket sales are doing really well and at least one show has already sold out with another date added so things are looking good for him, and rightly so.   If you haven't heard Michael's songs yet (where have you been?!) then do take a listen.  His early release, Tell Me A Tale is on this blog and there is plenty of stuff to find on You Tube.  It is still difficult to believe that Michael is only 23 years old.  Vocally assured,  he sounds as if he has been around for years.  I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for him.

The Horrible Crowes - Behold the Hurricane

Bought more on a whim than for any other reason as part of a 2 for £10 deal on Amazon when I wanted Beirut's new album last week and was pushed for time to choose another, Elsie is the debut album by The Horrible Crowes which is basically Brian (The Gaslight Anthem) Fallon's side project, alongside friend and guitarist Ian Perkins. 

This track, Behold the Hurricane, was the first single http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi-a5OktorM 
and it's a catchy enough radio-friendly tune which will keep me relatively happy while driving I suppose although as a whole the album is not going to set the world on fire.

Fallon has his devoted fans though and he is by no means a bad songwriter, it is just that we seem to have heard and seen all this before.  Many times.   But I'm prepared to give it a few more listens.  Maybe its a grower, who knows.  Describing his intention when recording this album, Fallon has said: "I've always wanted to experiment with the darker side of soul music and one day we were just like, 'let's write some songs and see what they sound like,' and it turned out that it sounded great."

http://thehorriblecrowes.com/

Treetop Flyers - It's About Time

September 18th sees the release of the latest Treetop Flyers single, It's About Time.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE2L2kJqlxQ If you've been a fan of the band for a while (and you will know I have from my previous posting) you will notice that this isn't a new song and in fact was released in 2009 on their debut ep.  This time out sees it re-recorded with a new video to promote it.  Any disappointment in there not being a new song at this time will hopefully be swiftly alleviated by the news that a full album will be along later in the year.  About time too guys.  Still, this is a great song - much better than a lot of the new stuff around - so I am more than happy to post it on here.  Enjoy.

Beirut - East Harlem

The album The Rip Tide from American band Beirut was released on Monday and I have been enjoying it whenever I can.  There are so many good tracks on it that I didn't know which one to choose, so opted for the track East Harlem as there is a great little live video on YouTube.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGxAUphrpi8

Beirut haven't released an album for four years so there was a certain amount of trepidation accompanying its release.  Thankfully it doesn't disappoint.  The wonderful brass accompaniments remain, as does Zach Condon's wonderful vocal depth and beautiful melodies.  As before, the melodies conjour up various world musical styles (Mexico, France etc).  Zach played the trumpet in a jazz band as a teenager so maybe that has contributed to his unique style.

Anyway, take a listen for yourself.  You won't regret buying this little gem.

http://beirutband.com/

Blitzen Trapper - Love The Way You Walk Away

I received an email yesterday morning reminding me that the new Blitzen Trapper album, American Goldwing, will be released on 13th September.  If, like me, you can't wait that long, you can stream it now from either Paste.com,  KRCW or Drowned in Sound.  I have already listened to it twice through and am impressed. There is also a video for the track Love The Way You Walk Away
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UK2nIsflQA&feature=player_embedded
 The title track was also posted here on Music Truffler a month or two ago.

There are some bands who, even if you've never visited the USA, can invoke strong images in the listener of vast open spaces, never ending roads and majestic mountain ranges much better than any holiday advertisement can.  Blitzen Trapper are one of those bands.  They sound retro enough to remind you of the great 1970s country rock bands but new enough to dispel cries of plagiarism.   I have to admit to being new to this band but have listened to their earlier albums on Spotify and can assure you that they are consistently strong songwriters and musicians.  This is their third album on the Sub Pop label, although there are earlier collections going back to 2003.  Sadly, there are no signs of them coming over to the UK to play any shows at the moment but who knows?

Think it will have to be the vinyl copy of the album for me as soon as it becomes available in the UK.  With some bands, it is the only version that will do.

Shake Hands Eric - Long Stay These Days

Well I have to admit that recently there has been a lot of downbeat music on Music Truffler (not that that is a bad thing, of course) but it's time to balance that with something a little more upbeat/happy/lightweight or whatever you want to call it.  Shake Hands Eric have recently released an album called Inside Colour from which this track Long Stay These Days http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmW3ZzqvRmU 
is taken.  I have heard snippets from the album at the time of writing but although I downloaded it from Amazon just this morning there has been a bit of a problem whereby it has disappeared into cyberspace somewhere and I am waiting for a further download to be forwarded to me.  From what I've heard so far though, it will be an enjoyable listen, although take it at face value - its not going to change your life - not every record will or should of course. 

Shake Hands Eric describe themselves as "everybody's 14th favourite band" which is rather sweet and seem to go down very well as a live band and only yesterday they played at Peterborough Beer Festival.

http://www.shakehandseric.co.uk/she/

Villagers - Becoming a Jackal

Dublin band Villagers, fronted by Conor J O'Brien, released their debut album in 2010.  Becoming a Jackal is the title track.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg0UsO5SFb8&ob=av2e
They have toured with Tracey Chapman, Bell X1, Tindersticks and Elbow, appeared on Later with Jools Holland and were shortlisted for both the Mercury Prize and the Choice Music Prize. 

The Guardian has said that they are noted for their 'eerie sense of disquiet' which certainly sums up this particular track.  It passed me by at its time of release but thankfully turned up on the recent Domino sampler which is being enjoyed here daily.


I will definitely be getting hold of the album over the next week or two and I also look forward to seeing what the future brings for this band.


http://www.wearevillagers.com/

King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Bubble

King Creosote is singer-songwriter Kenny Anderson who hails from Fife in Scotland.  This year he collaborated with Jon Hopkins to create the album Diamond Mine from which this song, Bubble, is taken http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-Lr0igwLIY

Beautifully crafted it is a collaboration that works and the album was rightly nominated for a Mercury award.  Kenny says that Bubble is an old song of his that originally appeared on an album released through his own Fence label in 2001 and Jon made the backing track in 2006.  Jon by the way is a graduate of the London Royal College of music and has recently worked with Brian Eno and also contributed keyboard and sound effects to Coldplay's latest album, but I wouldn't let that last piece of information put you off.

Dreamy with beautiful harmonies, an accordion,  the piano part recorded through a simulation of an old gramophone speaker and even a spinning bicycle wheel, it is a very evocative song.  It is, they say, the "soundtrack to a romanticized version of a life lived in a Scottish coastal village."

Cass McCombs - County Line

Today I received a free sampler of music c/o Domino Records.  It's all pretty good stuff but County Line by Cas McCombs was the outstanding track for me.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOcnITphyjk&ob=av2e

Cass McCombs is an American singer songwriter whose style is about as laid back as you can get without dropping off completely.   The late great John Peel called him 'unobtrusively brilliant' which is a perfect description I feel having listened to quite a few of his tracks today.  Information about the critically acclaimed McCombs is pretty sketchy.  He was born in California but appears to have spent rather a nomadic existence as an adult, living in cars, campsites and on friends' sofas.  He stayed in New York for a time to work on his songwriting but when the 9/11 atrocity struck, he headed back to San Francisco. It was there, in 2002 that he recorded his debut ep and his first album (A) was released the following year.  Wit's End is his 5th and latest album from which this track is taken. 

Maybe it is better to let his music (and videos) do the talking.  It's enough for me anyway. 

http://cassmccombs.com/

Howler - I Told You Once

OK so this is quite fun.  Here we have another Strokes/Vaccines soundalike called Howler. In fact they will be supporting the Vaccines later this year.  The band are from Minneapolis and have released a taster ep from which this track, I Told You Once, comes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKkcBb4EFQs
Signed to Rough Trade they are currently working on their debut album and I suspect it might be worth a listen when it's released if this track is anything to go by.  Although I have to say they are asking for trouble giving the ep the title 'This One's Different' (it's not - it's just more of the same - albeit very good 'same').  But summer is proving to be a very elusive and I am always happy to hear lots of uplifting pop to brighten my spirits so keep it coming, Howler!

http://www.howlerband.com/

Big Talk - Getaways

Big Talk is the latest project of The Killers' drummer Ronnie Vannucci.  Their album, also called Big Talk, was released last month and was produced by Joe Chicarelli.  This track, Getaways, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfoLY3F1lb4
can be found on there.

The band will be undertaking a 3 date tour in September consisting of Glasgow, Manchester and London, after which Ronnie will return to work with The Killers on their 4th studio album.

Ronnie doesn't stray too far from The Killers' sound (synth rock) here which should please many, but whereas a lot of Killers/Brandon Flowers' recent offerings have been less than exciting, if this track is anything to go by then the album should be worth investigating.  You can hear some of the other tracks on their website.

http://www.bigtalkmusic.com/

Fitz & The Tantrums - Breaking' the Chains of Love

There is an 'official video' for this track too, but this live performance for Breakin' the Chains of Love is MUCH better. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cVRkeFYXWA I can't say I'm entirely sure about this guy's hairstyle but he sounds pretty good and I keep playing this track on loop.  I love it!

Fitz & The Tantrums are a Los Angeles band.  Their sound is 'familiar but distinct' it says on their website and that is true.  Surprisingly they haven't been around very long but have already shared the stage with Maroon 5, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, and even Daryl Hall.  (Can you detect a bit of Daryl Hall in this guy's voice by the way?)  The background in music was there though as Fitz has spent years working in LA's music industry with Beck's producer Mickey Petralia and writing music.

There are no guitars in this band - that was deliberate - and there were no big American Studios to record this big sound in either.  They were all recorded at Fitz's home.


http://fitzandthetantrums.com/home/

The Dead Trees - World Gone Global

Being a bit of a tree hugger type, I have to say I was almost put off by the band's name.  Luckily I decided to find out more and their latest album, Whatwave, is a really good listen.

World Gone Global http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pW9EKKwOWJw
is a great example of what you can find on there.  Another interesting fact is that is was entirely funded by donations to a fund-raising website ($17,000 of donations in fact).

The band formed in 2006.   They have moved around a bit having started off in Boston before relocating to Portland and are currently based in Los Angeles, .  If you like the Strokes (and they have supported Albert Hammond Jr on tour recently) you will like this band.

OK Go - All Is Not Lost

OK Go - ah yes, I've seen these guys before.  They have a habit of creating viral music videos (I remember the dog one from last year).  Gimmicky, yes,  but usually they are worth a listen.  This is no exception.  All Is Not Lost is a great little pop song and the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ur-y7oOto14
sees them dressed in green leotards (good job they are slim!) writhing around to create kaleidoscopic patterns, shapes and words.  Very clever.  There is even an interactive version available via the single's website where you can choreograph the message yourself (although I haven't tried it, some of you may find it fun).  The song is from the Chicago band's third studio album, 'Of The Blue Colour Of The Sky'.

http://www.okgo.net/
http://www.allisnotlo.st

Yellowire - Starlife

Yellowire is Ol Beach, whose dad, Jim Beach, has been Queen's manager since 1978.  Currently tipped as one to watch, his album, Machines on Fire, will be released on 15th August.

There are a few songs from the album out there already.  One, Where Is The Summer, is a question I've been asking for some time now. 

I think this guy is definitely worth watching,  although I'm not sure whether this Coldplay crossed with Moby song will take the world by storm.  There isn't much real information out there about him either (much on the website seems to waffle on about a mysterious masseur!) but the video for Starlife looks good.  http://vimeo.com/yellowire/yellowire-starlife-video It was directed by Marcus Lyall and conceptualised by graphic artist Jimmy Turrell.  Despite appearances, it wasn't created with special effects. Instead over 60,000 individual frames were involved using a number of screen printing techniques. Each frame was then photographed and put together into video format.  (Well, believe me it's certainly more interesting than the masseuse story!)


http://www.yellowwire.co.uk/

Scott Matthew - Sinking

Scott Matthew's new album, Gallantry's Favourite Son, was released in June of this year.  It is a beautiful, almost fey collection of songs from this Australian songsmith.  And how lovely to see the ukelele used so often in his music.

Sinking http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13eOVQjG0mo
of which this is a live version to show the man's talent off to best effect, is a good example of what can be found on this new album.  Still introspective and quiet as on his previous collections, you really have to have loved everything this man has done before as you won't find anything drastically different here.  But you know, that is fine by me.  Scott Matthew is good at what he does and sticks with it. 

Not to be confused with Scott Matthews, the UK singer-songwriter (so be careful about any extra lower case 's' when typing on Google or YouTube), Matthew has been described as having a melancholic, warm, sulty, adrogynous, David Bowie type of vocal.  His sound has also been likened to Anthony and the Johnsons.

http://www.scottmatthewmusic.com/

Danny and the Champions of the World - You Don't Know (My Heart Is in The Right Place)

I've been waiting for the release of this album for a couple of months now.  The release date appeared to shift forward a little every time I looked and then I completely forgot for a while and before I knew it, I find it has been released for a week and I'd missed it!

Anyway, the new album by Danny &The Champions Of The World is called Hearts & Arrows.  The track, You Don't Know (My Heart Is In The Right Place) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOBqnlqivcQ&feature=player_embedded
can be watched here.  (Phew! Long band title AND long song title!)  On first listening, this album reminds me more than a little of a Bruce Springsteen but without the constipated vocals.  I don't suppose I should be surprised to read then that the band contributed a track to a Springsteen tribute EP released for Record Store Day.  I have to admit to being a little disappointed on first listening to Hearts & Arrows.  I've just listened again to early D&TCOTW tracks from their self-titled first album and also Streets of Our Time, and I feel they sounded better then.  More original and honest.   But maybe I'm being a little unfair.  I've only listened to Hearts & Arrows once so far so maybe it will grow on me.  Time will tell.   Do check out their first albums too though (tracks on MySpace).

For those of you who are new to this London band, they were formed after Grand Drive (a band formed by brothers Danny and Julian Wilson) called it a day.  After an impromptu session at a farm in the grounds of the Truck Festival, Danny Wilson formed Danny and the Champions of the World and went on to gain critical acclaim with their music and albums and have since toured with The Magic Numbers and The Drive By Truckers.

http://www.dannyandthechamps.com/

Welcome to Music Truffler!

Hello and welcome to Music Truffler.  This blog was conceived by myself around a year ago but was only actually created last week.  All the posts up to this point are a selection of new music (and sometimes not so new stuff) that I've found over the last year.  There were far too many to put them all on.  But from this point on, I hope to be able to list everything I find.  There are so many good bands and artists around that I can easily forget about some of them once a certain time has lapsed, so here is my personal musical memory bank and if anyone is interested in them too, then great.

Feel free to add sensible comments, let me know your views and also please point me in the direction of any great new stuff I may have missed.  I am always on the lookout for emerging talent - signed or unsigned.

Minus The Bear - Hold Me Down

Minus The Bear released the single Into The Mirror in late 2009.  It was ok but it didn't blow me away.  This latest offering, Hold Me Down http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQiDpZJoQvE
is much better and it is available on a free ep via their website.

Founded in 2001, Minus The Bear are a Seattle based indie rock band.  And if you are wondering where the name came from..  The name "Minus the Bear" comes from an in joke among the band members, referring to the 70's television programme, BJ and the Bear. "A friend of the band had gone on a date,” explains singer-guitarist Jake Snider, "and one of us asked him afterwards how the date went. Our friend said, 'You know that TV show from the '70s B.J. and The Bear? It was like that... minus The Bear.' That’s the straight truth." (from Wikipedia)


http://minusthebear.com

Mona - Listen To Your Love

 Mona are a band from Nashville who rose to fame after they appeared in the BBC's Sound of 2011 poll which was revealed on 5th December 2010.  They performed on Later with Joolz Holland in November of that year where they performed Listen To Your Love, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YVY3JYgWH
Teenager and Lines in the Sand.  They also made the longlist for the MTV Awards Brand New for 2011.  In February it was announced that they had won.

The self-titled album Mona was released in the UK  on16 May on Island Records and will be released in the US in September.


http://www.monatheband.com/

Vintage Trouble - Blues Hand Me Down

Vintage Trouble first came to my attention via the Bomb Shelter Sessions and also some YouTube footage of the band performing Blues Hand Me Down on Later by Joolz Holland.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsw4ipHcMvY
(having missed that episode as I was away on holiday).  Luckily I was tipped off and I was impressed - who couldn't be?  Ty Taylor is a charismatic front man who demands your attention both aurally and visually.

A Los Angeles band, Vintage Trouble combine a love of original soul and rhythm and blues.  They have been in demand both as a headlining band in their own right and also as a support.  This year they have supported Brian May and Bon Jovi.  Their reputation as a live act is growing steadily and with influences such as Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles and The Black Keys evident through their music, its only a matter of time before this band become huge.

http://www.vintagetrouble.com/

Pete Yorn - Sans Fear

Pete Yorn started off as a drummer but following an impromptu performance of one of his songs for an A&R man at Columbia records he secured himself a record deal.

In 2000 he moved to Los Angeles where he began writing tv and film music, most notably for the film Me, Myself and Irene staring Jim Carrey.  In 2001 he released the highly acclaimed Musicforthemorningafter and has gone from strength to strength collaborating with people such as Peter Buck and Dave Grohl.  He also recorded the album Break Up with Scarlett Johansson in 2009.

His latest album, simply entitled Pete Yorn,  contains more excellent music from this prolific and talented songwriter and musician.  You can find Sans Fear here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KajeJ6fnQ88  Look out for a cameo from Daryl Hannah.


http://www.peteyorn.com/

Youngblood Hawke - Rootless

Los Angeles band Youngblood Hawke's ep is available to buy now and this particular track, Rootless, is available as a free download.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iuZiNg9K9w
It's great fun and lightweight in a good way.  These guys don't take themselves too seriously and lets face it, there are plenty of earnest young bands around there at the moment if we are in the mood for that kind of stuff.

Taking their name from the Herman Wouk novel, Youngblood Hawke are in fact Sam Martin and Simon Katz who, apparently exhausted after two years of touring with Iglu and Hartly, decided to form a creative outlet where they could write and perform music for the enjoyment of friends and family without commercial pressures.  They were later joined by 3 more friends, Tasso Smith, Alice Katz and Nik Hughes.

On their Facebook page it says "Youngblood Hawke captures the sound of 5 friends in mid-journey. It is the snapshot of a state of mind where one mountain has been climbed and there are more in the distance. But for right now, the view is beautiful."  Fair enough.


http://youngbloodhawke.bandcamp.com/

G-Love - Fixin' To Die

G-Love (Gareth Dutton) is the front man for G-Love and Special Sauce, a three piece from Philadelphia.  This latest album, Fixin' To Die, of which the title track can be heard here,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCPH3dPQkIc came about because of G-Love sharing the stage with the Avett Bothers.  They discovered they had a shared musical heritage and decided to make an album together, a selection of rearranged traditional songs, a classic cover and some G-Love originals.  So, the blurb on his MySpace page reveals, you will find on here not the hop hop blues, a genre he helped define, but a more honest collection of songs which capture the original spirit and sound he'd been looking for.  "This is the most inspired I’ve ever felt making a record - let’s just put it that way. I’m still buzzing about it.”

I discovered when I dropped this track into my iTunes library I had 2 other versions of this song,  one by Bukka White - the original, and one by Robert Plant.  All of them different and all enjoyable.  But has G-Love made a less commercial effort with this, as he claims?  I'm not sure that is strictly true.  It shouldn't detract from the fact that this is a good version, though it still sounds fairly mainstream to me.

Hyde & Beast - (And The) Pictures In The Sky

Hyde & Beast are The Futureheads' drummer Dave Hyde and Neil Basset (not Beast) who is ex-Golden Virgins drummer.  Apparently the two drummers met and began working together, recording the album at Neil's studio at the rate of one track a day.  They produced, recorded and mixed it all themselves.

The album, entitled Slow Down, will be released on 15th August.  In the meantime you can see what they do here as this is the video for the track (And The) Pictures In The Sky.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM2vCE-2hAo 

This song has a lovely T-Rex type vibe to it.  What do you think?  That's probably why I love it, anyway.

http://www.hydeandbeast.co.uk/

Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing

 Blitzen Trapper are a new band to me even though they have apparently released 6 albums and have been around since 2000.  Amazing how bands sometimes just pass you by unnoticed.

They come from Portland, Oregon and are an alternative country band signed to Sub-Pop.  Having just had a quick listen to earlier stuff on Spotify and reading up on their background etc, I think I can guarantee that I will be listening to more of their stuff as its very much grown up music (as opposed to AOL) made by not so grown up men.  Perfect!

American Goldwing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgOgvfLZ4N0 is the title track to their new album.  Long-term fans seem to agree that it's not their best but as this is new to me, I am pretty taken with it.  This track in particular reminds me of The Band.  Think I need to delve more into their back catalogue and find out what I've missed.

http://www.blitzentrapper.net/

The Tym Scopes Band - Smiles

 I was sent a copy of the Tym Scopes Band debut single, Smiles, a good few months ago. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQC44YaHwkA I found it ok on the first listening but admittedly, it was a grower and after a while I decided I was interested enough to go and discover more about them.

The problem is there doesn't seem to be anything more out there.  Not much anyway.  44 seconds of a little tinkering (their words) and Morning Song Kokomo medley are the only songs other than Smiles on their MySpace page.   Smiles appears to be the only true song.

So what I can I tell you about them?  Well according to their press release Tym was discovered in 2008 by Nine Iron Management and was encouraged to put a band together.  South London label Blue Sun Records then approached them and asked them to do a test of sessions at some of London's top recording studios.  They recorded a batch of songs (where are they?) and played a series of exclusive private gigs which went down very well. 

Musically they are very good.  They play raw blues infused rock and we are told the crowds were hanging on to every note.  We are told they are now nestled in the studio fine tuning their album and plan to release a handful of singles free online to give their fans an insight into what they are doing.  Smiles was the first of these.  This was released in the early spring though and nothing further appears to be happening.  The Facebook page has had no further updates since May and there is nothing new on MySpace.

If anyone knows what The Tym Scopes Band are doing, please let me know!

The Lottery Winners - Lovers Lane

In 2010, Leigh band The Lottery Winners won the national competition Live and Unsigned, beating over 10,000 hopefuls in love auditions and live heats across the country to take away the title.

Since then they have gained in popularity and have (not surprisingly bearing in mind the above) a reputation as a fantastic live act.

Their album The Art of Communication is out now and a single from it, Lovers Lane, released earlier this year can be heard here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfv2FLnEKWc

Morning Parade - A&E

Morning Parade are a five piece from Harlow in Essex.  They have been together as a band since 2007.  Earlier this year I received a free download by the band called Your Majesty and was interested enough to listen further and found the single A&E.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBzMIYNtA4M

I did have the original video for this song and posted it when it was released on my Facebook page, but it has since been removed from YouTube.  Having said that, it is there attached to a remix of the song but the original mix is the superior version so I've posted this instead.   You can see the video and the remix on YouTube yourself if you are interested.

I have to say, although I love this track, a few of their songs sound a bit 'samey' and I will be interested to see what emerges with the release of their debut album.  Someone has said they sound a bit like The Stereophonics remixed by Faithless.  That just about sums them up here I think.


http://www.morningparade.com/

Fixers - Iron Deer Dream

The sun is shining at last (it's only July you know!) and we need some sun-shiny music to go with it.  This track fits the bill perfectly, like an up to date psychedelic indie Beach Boys.

Fixers are an Oxford five piece and their ep, Here Comes 2001 So Let's All Head For The Sun, released earlier this year hinted at a glorious long hot summer filled with parties, festivals, dancing, wall to wall sunshine... shame it didn't happen.  Nonetheless it spent a lot playing time on my iPod in the car... great stuff.  Iron Deer Dream can be heard here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ne7OwAjZ6w