Zervas and Pepper - Cigar Store Indian

Cardiff based duo Zervas and Pepper released their debut album, Somewhere In The City, last year.  However it is only now that it appears to be catching on with a lot of radio stations and music lovers.  The wonderful Cigar Store Indian (of which you can find a beautiful acoustic version here)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVg8AG6qFJI  is receiving airplay everywhere it seems and indeed it is the track that caught my attention last week. 

Around 5 or 6 years ago, Paul Zervas and Kathryn Pepper were both established singer songwriters playing the club circuit separately.  Both did mainly cover versions of west coast songs and both slipped in the occasional original track.  It was inevitable I suppose that they would eventually get together.  And they blend well.  There have been a couple of earlier eps but this is their first joint album, which after such a long time together is somewhat surprising, although Zervas has hinted that the prevous eps were outtakes from two albums which they decided not to release at the very last minute.  Certainly some of the songs on the debut are a little weak, but there are some wonderful tracks on there so it is well worth checking out.  Music for long summer drives... if summer ever arrives.

http://www.zervaspepper.co.uk/

dEUs - Quatre Mains

Belgium's dEUs have released another album.  Called Following Sea, this follows on surprisingly quickly from 2011's wonderful Keep You Close.  The reason, apparently, is that they had quite a few songs left over from the making of Keep You Close which hadn't suited the feel of that album.  Also they wanted to work in a slightly different way; being 'less precious' about how they were recorded.  They wanted to be more spontaneous and it was recorded in between tours, literally getting off the tour bus and going into the studio.  They found it refreshing to be working more quickly.  The quick release came about simply because the songs were ready and they wanted people to be able to hear them.

Quatre Mains http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsFfHdqNOWI  is the first single to be taken from this album and is something of a departure from their usual style.  Most notably it is sung in French.  I came to dEUs late and hadn't realised this was the first time they had recorded a song in French, but the French lyric happened purely by accident and certainly wasn't intended to be this way.  Lead singer Tom Barman explains that Quatre Mains started out very differently, as the result of a jam session.   Unable to get it quite right, or work out a melody line, Tom he began talking over it in French and it worked. 

I wish I'd paid more attention in French lessons because I have no idea what Tom is talking about in Quatre Mains, but it sounds good anyway.

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

The Midnight Ramble - Lions

I'm a bit late posting this single by The Midnight Ramble.  Called Lions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObL_7T2K6Kg  it was released on 11th May and is a terrific single.   It was put out as a taster for the debut album, Sink The Pieces, which was released last week.  Sink the Pieces is a short but perfectly formed collection of songs by the Liverpool guys who are creating something of a buzz around the North West area.  I can vouch for their talent, having seen them supporting Phantom Limb recently. 

There are a few quieter songs on the album which are great, but it is when they rock out that they really shine.   Lead singer Paul Dunbar has a powerful voice and with the band's various instruments - guitar, banjo, saxophone, trumpet, flute, clarinet and (it says on their Facebook page although I have yet to hear it) glockenspiel,  it all combines to lend a unique flavour to the standard rock band sound.

Perhaps choosing this name was a mistake - after all Levon Helm got there first and is still top of Google pages and will be for some considerable time.  But then again they are a upcoming band and time may rectify this.


www.themidnightramble.com

Alabama Shakes - I Found You

Remember this band?  I posted one of their songs on here (Hold On) in November last year after hearing their ep.  At last their long-awaited album, Boys and Girls, has been released to huge hype and acclaim (all of it deserved).  The first thing I did on waking this morning was to download it.  And here is another track for you, I Found You.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnVSUH6_oBY

If you like to try before you buy, it is available to stream on the Guardian and NPR websites or you can watch them performing live on YouTube. 

Interestingly the band have only just given up their full time jobs (Brittany Howard was a postwoman and Steve the drummer worked at a local nuclear power plant) to concentrate on music full time.  They find this really scary but I don't think they need worry.  Although the music business is notoriously fickle, I can't see that this band will go unnoticed.  Brittany's voice is impossible to ignore and already the word is out and the press are banging at their door.  So forget Adele and Lana del Ray.  This is the real deal.  Watch this space. 

http://www.alabamashakes.com/

Hooded Fang - Tosta Mista

Hooded Fang are a 7 piece Canadian indie-rock band who hail from Toronto, Canada.  They released their first album (called Album) in 2010 which followed on from their debut ep (entitled EP, naturally). Their latest album, Tosta Mista (of which this is the title track)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rETZbGv-frI
followed in March of this year in the UK.

Nominated for the Polaris Prize, for Album, which is the Canadian version of Mercury, they are a real rival to Arcade Fire in their home country.  And they are now gaining popularity outside Canada too.

Apparently this album was formed around the break up of two band members - Daniel and April, but you wouldn't necessarily know that as it is delightfully poppy and upbeat.  

They are touring the UK, supported by Howler (another Truffler recommendation from last year) during May (1st-16th) and then heading over to Europe for the remainder of the month.  I might just check them out.

http://hoodedfang.com/

AM & Shawn Lee - Somebody Like You

I really love the new album by AM & Shawn Lee.  Called Celestial Electric, this track, Somebody Like You http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDMsWHyOors, was the first one I heard from it and I was immediately hooked.  I love the production, the drum licks, the guitar, keyboard, vocals, EVERYTHING!  I also love this little video which shows them putting this track together... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCFSxmIf1As
In fact the only thing I'm not sure about is AM's moustache but hey, that's a small gripe.

Guitarist and songwriter AM was born in Tulsa and was raised in New Orleans.  Shawn Lee is a musician and multi-instrumentalist who is originally from Witchita, Kansas, but who now resides in London.   Both have created a name for themselves individually over recent years (AM supporting Air and Charlotte Gainsbourgh and Shawn Lee playing in various bands, most notably Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra) and and have been popular across Europe, especially France.  And it was their shared love of French and Italian film music that drew them to each other.  They finally got together last year and created this wonderful album full of of funky 70s retro grooves with a smattering of psychedelia.

AM has admitted to loving old 70s records and in homage to them has listed all the playing credits on the album in detail.  He recalls reading the back of a Rush album and seeing "Geddy Lee - Taurus Pedals" and thinking what are Taurus Pedals?  Some magic instrument from another land?  He wanted to create that same feeling in their own listeners.

Despite the nod to 60s and 70s sound however (and there is even a cover of The Ozark Mountain Daredevil's Jackie Blue on the album),   Celestial Electric is an album that could only have been made now.   It's the perfect throwback, chill out album to enjoy whatever your mood (or era).

Father John Misty - Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings

I heard Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtOToiIDNRA&feature=share  on the radio last week and loved it so much I couldn't wait for it to finish so I could find out who it was and get myself a copy.  The song was by Father John Misty who is actually Josh Tillman, ex-Fleet Foxes drummer.  I found that interesting because I am a HUGE Fleet Foxes fan, but this doesn't really sound anything like them.

It isn't just a case of another drummer suddenly thinking he can have a go at singing and songwriting either.  Tillman was a singer and songwriter on the Seattle folk scene long before joining Fleet Foxes.  And he has now made the decision to concentrate on this full time, having recently played his final show with the band in Tokyo. 

The album, Fear Fun, will be released on 1st May.

http://fatherjohnmisty.com/