It’s been a while since I posted something simple, quiet and folksy but those of you who know me will know that folk is where I came from and folk holds a special place in my near 25 year old heart. No cynicism today, just appreciating for these rambling, swelling songs which you can enjoy gratis via bandcamp. Don’t think too hard about it, just listen and let the music speak for itself.

The Oh Hello’s – ‘Hello My Old Heart’

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The Oh Hello’s – ‘Lay Me Down’

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They say that there are only two things you can ever be sure of, and those are death and taxes. Today however, I propose a third, for I have a surefire, tried and tested method of discovering new music that does. not. fail. If I want to be certain of discovering several albums of quality, all I need do is post my ‘Top 10 Albums’ list in any given year and the moment I hit the ‘Publish Post’ button, I will instantaneously find out about multiple records that should have been on the list, effectively undermining what’s already been chosen. This year, there were two records in particular that came to my attention immediately after posting 2011′s top 10.

The first of these was Who Kill by tUnE-yArDs which found itself victim of my scorn for all things hypem. The record is amazing but I never listened to a anything more than a ten second snippet as it seemed to be written and spoken about everywhere while noone actually seemed to be listening to it, which for me is usually a bad sign.

The songs you’re about to listen to now are not those of tUnE-yArDs but the second of the two, a Colorado duo known as Gauntlet Hair. I heard these gents on Gorilla Vs Bear a while back and sort of liked what I heard, but for the most past I let those songs float back into the ether. I didn’t realise they had a new record out until Katie Brown harped on about it late last year, putting it into her top 10 and placing their songs in my inbox.

I don’t know how best to describe the record in that it’s like nothing else I’ve heard. The Animal collective comparison that I’m so fond of drawing is relevant here again and there’s obviously jangling reverb + echo effects coming out the eyeballs. Beats are so nicely rounded out that they have the effect of being muffled through walls, much like the sounds of the thunderous bass within a club being listened to from without. I’ve chosen two of the “bigger” tracks on the record, both of which would breath well at festivals I’d imagine. You never know, we might see them out here for next year’s Laneway. They might not immediately feel it, but both songs benefit from some real volume. Turn it up.

Gauntlet Hair – ‘Keep Time’

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Gauntlet Hair – ‘Mop It Up’

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Just so you know what’s what, here’s a track from the tUnE-yArDs album that I mentioned way up there.

tUnE-yArDs – ‘Bizness’

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I’m just going to throw this up here for you to listen to.

Rohin Jones, vocalist formerly of reigning world champions The Middle East, has been getting it done on the sly these past six months, playing small bars up and down the east coast. A lot has been said about the breaking up of The Middle East but I can’t help but feel, having seen his live set, that Rohin is enjoying performing songs unbound by either critical expectation or other bandmates. These songs are personal, colloquial, and near as sparse as an elderly scalp. It’s mostly Rohin’s baritonal vocals and his acoustic guitar which must certainly be more easy to tour than the eleventy hundred piece lineup that was the Middle East. It probably won’t ring true for many of the Middle East’s loyal but I’d imagine that this would sit fine with Rohin. If you’re looking for clean, easy listening, there’s plenty you’ll enjoy more than what’s below.

I’ve cut these two tracks out of a live recording from Gasometer (which is in Collingwood, apparently?) that you can listen to/download over here, replete with coughs, prolonged silences and the sounds of that acoustic being tuned and retuned. I’ve speculatively titled the tracks according to lyrics from each song, but no doubt when they’re actually recorded in studio, the titles won’t match my own. The second of the two kind of sounds like a track The Middle East were pedalling at their shows, towards the end of their time as a band, so maybe it was one of Rohin’s that were putting down or maybe he’s just kept it in the bank ever since.

‘Davey’

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‘Different Things’

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Here’s the link to the full set once more.

The below is a post that I wrote for Cool Accidents this morning.

I hear a whole swathe of influences when I listen to the music of the Gold Coast’s Jacob Rohde. When I heard ‘Connected’ over on East to West yesterday I half thought I was hearing the newest single from the Postal Service (if only) by virtue of the 8 bit drum sounds that casually reference the washed down drum and base of yore. R&B vocals adeptly layed over his beats, Rhodes makes me think Jamie Woon, The XX or our own Chet Faker. While I’m obviously not an electronica officianado, I’m stoked to hear an Australian “producer” not doing glitchy “off-kilter” beats because let’s be “honest”, that hand is overplayed. I absolutely guarantee that his name will ring out over the coming “months”. You can listen and download two of his tracks below or get a whole bunch more over here.

Jacob Rohde – ‘Connected’

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Jacob Rohde – ‘Continual’

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That may have been an image of my choosing, but seriously, guy needs to get some decent photos.