Francis and the Lights should probably just be called Francis. It’s all about Francis. Full name Francis Farewell Starlite, he sounds like a dreamer. I suppose it’s also a fair bit about the Lights. Wikipedia tells me that there are two drummers who play in conjunction with sequenced percussion. That sounds pretty cool.

I think the most interesting thing about them is that instead of signing a record deal they became a small business and received a $100,000 investment from Normative Music. With 100,000 big ones in the pocket you’d hope they could create something brilliant. They did. I mean, it sounds a lot like Phil Collins so it’s not hugely groundbreaking but I think it’s pretty poignant music.

Francis and the Lights – For Days

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I know right? It rules. That song is available as a free download from RCRDLBL. It’s from there upcoming release It’ll Be Better which comes out on July 20 through Cantora Records.

Appreciate this clip of Francis being a sweet dude. The song is from his 2008 record A Modern Promise (which isn’t great) so don’t judge his future music by this. Make sure you watch on, up until the point where he takes a solid run up into an epileptic fit around the 2 minute mark. I like this guy. He reminds me of a white, male, Janelle Monáe.

Geographer are a three piece outfit that balance pretty vocals with nintendoesque beeps. The vocals remind me a little of The Whitest Boy Alive/Kings of Convenience. It’s pretty chill, you’ll like it. Remember when I first played you Kings of Convenience in my car and you were all, “it’s straight-up chillfest 07 up in here!”. Of course not. You were so drunk that night, you spewed all down the side of my car and didn’t even clean it off. I used a whole can of Armourall to get that goop off. So I think that sums up why you’ll like Geographer. Enjoy.

Geographer – Kites

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Animal Shapes EP is available from eMusic and iTunes. It’s probably available elsewhere too but those are the only two anyone should ever use.

This Melbourne duo is yet another quality group that’s benefited from the exposure that Triple J Unearthed can provide. They exploded onto the scene late last year with a simultaneously awesome sound and woeful name. “Gypsy and the Cat”? Yuck. Despite the terrible name, Sony picked them up and they’re now based in London so you know they’re a big deal. They have a new single available which sounds pretty good. It’s called Time to Wander.

Gypsy and the Cat – Time to Wander

Trust me when I say this (because I’m yet to steer you wrong) but the other songs on their myspace are actually better than Time to Wander, particularly The Piper’s Song and Jona Vark. Jona Vark is available as a free download by clicking here.

Shugo Tokumaru takes the idea of the multi-instrumentalist to another level. Exit, his most recent full length release, features over 50 different instruments, most played by Shugo himself. He even records it all himself. His music is a little left of center though Exit will appeal to Western audiences more than his earlier work. It reminds me a little of Jonsi‘s solo album Go.

He has a new three track single out, though apparently in Japan they call that a ‘mini album’, but I’m not fooled, I know value for money when I see it. The three track ‘mini album’ doesn’t seem to be available here but a single can be streamed on his myspace or you can watch the video immediately below.

Shugo Tokumaru – Rum Hee

One of the merits of my internship is that I get to spend hours looking through the artists on Triple J Unearthed. As a result of this, I came across an artist called Jinja Safari who seem to have come out of nowhere. They Created their myspace on the 28th of February this year, so they probably only formed as a band in the month or two prior. Now watch as they explode. They have that sound that your average punter is going to gobble up. All that said, there’re some novelty instruments in there. I’m pretty sure there’s a sitar somewhere in the chorus of Peter Pan (their only recording) and that’s an inclusion I don’t think anyone can take lightly. You can never overestimate the importance of a sitar. One time I failed to recognise the presence of a sitar and developed a pretty serious fungal infection. Friends have tried to tell me that the sitar had no bearing on my infection but I think the evidence is pretty compelling.

Jinja Safari – Peter Pan

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[DOWNLOAD]

Afro-pop. Is it cool if I say afro-pop? I hope so. I think this is afro-pop. I couldn’t list the features of afro-pop but it’s popularized by artists like Paul Simon and Vampire Weekend. That’s the kind of vibe Jinja Safari give me. Their artistic output seems to be centered around ideas of youth and adventure. Spec a few of their photoshoot images if their sound alone doesn’t convince you:

“So what if I’m wearing a monkey hat? It’s only weird to you because you don’t understand what it really means to be a musician”

“I don’t know how we ended up with this camera effect. I swear we didn’t photoshop it. I think my dad’s SLR must have had dirt on the lens”

“Dude, I think she’s seen us”

If you’re keen to find out more, check out their myspace or facebook page. They have their debut show coming up soon in support of Miami Horror at Manning Bar on the 12th of June. A pretty big slot for an artist who have never done a live show if you ask me. They must have some serious connections.