What are you listening to?

[sabrage]

[laneford]

I have been really enjoying that record all week. Good shout sir.

[sabrage]

Agreed, Breton is pure excellence. I usually flit between new music pretty rapidly but I've been coming back to this quite a bit as well.

[DiamondDog]

Shackleton delivers again.

Edit: Removed. So that's why there are no Shackleton vids on youtube. Oh well!

Also, I think Beneath is a guy to keep your eye on. Could be worth the hype. He's just done a FACT mix:

http://www.factmag.com/2012/05/07/fact-mix-328-beneath/

[Berzee]

I am listening to this:

[AlonePlusEasyTarget]

Can anyone recommend more songs like this?

[Lambchops]

Until a friend mentioned it to me the release of the new DJ Format album passed me entirely by. So thus I immediately went to listening (Music for the Mature B Boy was the first hip hop album I ever bought, having previously unfairly dismissed the genre, and probably did a lot to shape my tastes).

Anyway it's sounding good on first listen, here's a song with the ever excellent Edan on the mic.

[Lambchops]

In addition to the above another thing I love about Format is that he always has excellent guests whose music is a pleasure to delve into. I discovered Ugly Duckling, Aspects, Abdominal, Nostalgia 77 and tHe Fantastics! through his albums and mixes. This time round I'm definitely eager to find more from Sureshot La Rock, who I'd never heard before but is rather excellent on the album;

[laneford]

That shackleton song is ace. Nice and dark.

[laneford]

Also, whilst I'm here, I'm excited about the new Aesop Rock album coming out soon if this song is anything to go by.

[Lambchops]

I don't know how Girl Talk had passed me by up to now. Glorious, spot the sample pop culture mash up nonsense and most importantly sounds bloody excellent. Has just put a bloody big smile on my face. i would happily spend a night in a club where somebody just thought, "fuck it I can't be arsed" and stuck this sort of stuff on.

[Kannaaashi]

plugged my ear with this:

[Juan Carlo]

I just discovered this transgendered harpist called "Baby Dee" who is pretty awesome. She has this song called "When I get Home" which is like the single most heart rending song about domestic abuse I've ever heard. Unfortunately, the only version I could find on youtube is an Andrew WK cover which isn't very good:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pceaPlCT5aw

But definitely give her a listen if you like Antony and the Johnsons. They have a similar sound:

[Kadayi]

The bird and the Bee - Polite song: -

[Voon]

Been listening to a few Ave Maria variations at the moment. And I found this one

[tossrStu]

I just discovered this transgendered harpist called "Baby Dee" who is pretty awesome.

She's good, but I think I preferred her earlier work to be honest.

[Voon]

So, I've been devouring The Shins' latest album a few days ago and found most of the tracks to be quite soothing. Relaxing enough to listen after a hard day's work or just chilling out in a cafe, somewhere. But there are a few soundtracks that may lift your spirits up and possibly will get stuck in your head, fast. Here's one:

[Flint]

I found the new Shins one a bit disappointing. Rifle's Spiral and Simple Song are brilliant but the rest of the album doesn't come even close, and particularly the second half is a major letdown (though I quite enjoy the title track). It's an enjoyable album but more of the sort of thing you enjoy putting on the background than actively focus on.

I've been recently very much enjoying the new Guillemots album Hello Land!, the first of four (!!!!!) new ones this year. And y'know, I believe they can pull that feat off successfully. Last year's Walk the River was an amazing album and a genuine rebirth for the band after Red's messiness (which I admittedly enjoy). This new one continues on that same excellent path. Wonderfully atmospheric and moody, with some gorgeous musical passages. Each album is supposed to represent a season and while this is supposed to be spring, it feels a lot more autumn-y. But it's still very, very good. Such a shame that they don't really get much notice anymore, too many people were so burnt by Red after their expectations were set high by Through the Windowpane (which admittedly is one of the greatest albums ever made) that looks like no one bothers to give these guys another chance. Shame. Bloody excited for the other new albums now.

And I managed to even grab a signed postcard by being one of the first 100 to order the new album! Alongside an additional copy to give to a friend. Fantastic surprise there.

[Kaira-]

Just found this post-rock band from Russia, but I am already in love. Brilliant stuff.

[Voon]

Come... Come and venture deep into the human mind and explore imagination, insanity, 60's cartoons and old B-grade sci-fi flicks accompanied by the sound of bugles

I found the new Shins one a bit disappointing. Rifle's Spiral and Simple Song are brilliant but the rest of the album doesn't come even close, and particularly the second half is a major letdown (though I quite enjoy the title track). It's an enjoyable album but more of the sort of thing you enjoy putting on the background than actively focus on.

Well that's basically how I felt about it a when I heard Port of Morrow after Rifle's Spiral. The second half gets noticibly slower and more relaxed than the first (and some felt a bit lackluster in comparison). But, yeah. It's still enjoyable.