It’s proving more and more difficult to keep up with our young friend Jacob Rohde at present since he seems to be releasing tunes like a regular David Guetta (which is to say frequently, not lazily). The new one (though there’s been a few since we last touched base) is called ‘People’ and features the tinkling of wind chimes sampled among some R&Beats. It’s certainly his most polished recording to date so it makes sense that I present it in conjunction with his brand new moniker ‘Bocaj’ which I was able to discover using an online anagram solver, is Jacob backwards. It’s like word warp up in here! Go on then, give it a go.

Oh dude, you’re going to love this. My buddy recommended I listen to this tune and I’m glad I did because it’s taken up semi-permanent residence in my braincave and I don’t even care. You’re probably already familiar with Major Lazer, the collaborative duo of Diplo and Switch and you might already know the Dirty Projectors but have you heard the two in tandem!? You’re soon to. Amber from the Dirty projectors has teamed up with Major Lazer on this one and now the history books will have to be rewritten. Tear out the pages that suggest a big tune wasn’t released on the 15th of April because they’re now factually inaccurate. This post is pissing off encyclopedia manufacturers world-wide but they say you can’t make an omelette without cracking a few eggs, am I right? So with that said, let’s make a wholesome breakfast out of those history books. Download it free.

Lift up your faces and bathe in the warmth that is ‘New York City’ by Nashville’s Among Savages. No hipster credibility here, just wholly accessible, very easy to listen to, comfortable, warm, rolling music. I was going to end with something more concrete than ‘music’ but to paint this as ‘indie-pop’ doesn’t seem right. It just feels a little more timeless than what one would usually associate with the term. When I say accessible though, I really mean accessible. For fans of Copeland, Sleeping At Last etc. Don’t think I’m trying to distance myself from it though, I’m posting this song because I’m all about it. It’s actually quite a bittersweet thing, this song, telling of a New York that promises much but delivers not.

It’s just the thing I need to make me feel slightly more ok about having risen at 430am this morning to watch Manchester City vs Manchester United in what is likely the season deciding clash, only to find that it’s to be played at 430am tomorrow morning. Do I dare rise twice? I’ll leave you on that cliff-hanger.

Among Savages – New York city

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Among Savages – Sun Greets The Sky

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Really, truly, you should listen to and even purchase the whole record, called Wanderings of an Illustrative Mind. Hell, even their EP (on which you’ll find ‘Sun Greets The Sky’) is great. Do yourself a favour. 10 discovery points to Sam Manchester. [UPDATE: The EP is available under a ‘pay what you want’ system on Noisetrade. Enjoy]

The Falls are a two piece from Sydney that appear to have pretty equally portioned male and female vocals. While I have nothing negative to say of the female vocals I really like the dude’s voice and when the two come together it’s generally a good time. Anyway, that’s all beside the point. They are a fairly straight down the line folk outfit sans gimmicks and frills. It’s simply a pair of voices mingling over what is for the most part just an acoustic guitar, and as it has for hundreds, nay thousands of artists through the years, it just works. The highlight from their “four track demo”, which strangely only features three tracks is ‘Home’, a song that wouldn’t sound out of place on an Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes release. They may not be breaking down the door of musical ingenuity but there’s an authenticity residing in their simplicity that will speak to even the most folk-jaded soul.

They’re playing a whole swathe of shows over the next few months, including a residency at the Art Gallery of NSW’s Art After Hours, which I will be clearing my schedule to attend. If you live in Bathurst then you’d be a fool to miss their show with Packwood at the Australian Fossil & Mineral Museum which will be both a fun night out and a geological adventure.

The Falls – Home [DOWNLOAD]

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[EDIT: I’ve had this one in the bank for a little while now and since the time of writing, the shows mentioned, Fossil based or otherwise, have already taken place. AND there were no strings in the version I was listening to at the time.]

Your already great day is about to get even better with the introduction to a song you’ll be hearing time and time again on Triple J over the next few months. This song is called ‘This Song Is Called Ragged’. See what I did there? It’s far less abrasive than Trounce (which, to make clear, I loved). I like that you can hear the rumbling guitar underneath it all still, which makes me think this will be a guitar driven record in a way that his first was not. His self-titled debut was all about those big, big drum sounds. The base level tribalism that also characterised the first record is still here but the undertone is stonier. You might even say… rockier? I’ve close friends that hated the production on Boulet’s debut but I’m going to stand strong here and say I’m all about this. The weight garnered when those gang vocals come in is undeniable. Let the public rejoice.

Don’t forget to hit the download button over there to get a copy for keepsies. We Keep the Beat, Found the Sound, See the Need, Start the Heart, will be out on June 11 through Modular.