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/