It’s well understood that I’ll write about anything that Freelance Whales do. I know it, you know it, they know it. They put out one of the better records of 2009 and have gone on to release a few off the cuff tracks that have suggested that their next record might be moving in a different direction to Weathervanes. Now they’ve covered Devo’s Girl U Want. It won’t rattle any cages but it will make you say “this song is a nice song”.
Freelance Whales – ‘Girl U Want’ (Devo Cover)
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The first thought I had when I saw the name of this artist was of course, “you are not”. Then I reconsidered. “Perhaps he is oak”, I thought. There came to me the flittering thought that I may have been about to listen to the music of a treant. Then, an even more exciting prospect came to mind. What if – and this was a pretty special ‘what if’ – an enchanted oak was felled in the forest of Kaz’nekrem on the eve of a lunar eclipse and the stars aligned as a master-craftsmen, on his death bed, created one last piece of carpentry: A magical xylophone that played itself. Yeah, I know. Awesome.
I Am Oak – ‘On Trees And Birds And Fire’
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Suffice to say you’re probably ashamed of yourself, having initially written this band off for what you thought was a silly name. Don’t worry, I’m also a little embarrassed, but now we know better. In the unlikely outcome that this artist is neither treant nor xylophone then he’s probably the Dutch singer-songwriter Thijs Kuijken. In 2008 Kuijken self released his Sou Ka EP and the full length Ols Songd. Last year he dropped On Claws which featured the above streamed track ‘On Trees and Birds and Fire’. On the 13th of May, 2011 he’ll be releasing his next record titled Oasem.
To purchase Souk Ka head here, to purchase On Claws get on this.
Here’s a little something else from Dry The River to tide you over for the next day or two. This band seems to be moving from strength to strength at the moment. No word as yet on the release date of their debut full length but it surely can’t be far. They’ve been churning out live video after live video these past few months and the buzz is running high. They’d be foolish not to take advantage of it and release sometime soon.
I’ve got a real whiz-banger (of the gentler kind) lined up for you later in the week. Stay keen.
I don’t feel as strongly about No Light Bright Light as I did about the self titled debut that Isbells released last year. His voice and the acoustic accompaniment is starting to sound a little bit too close to Jason Mraz for my liking but because they’ve already got me onside I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Like 90% of girls in clubs, there’s not a lot of thought or care to it but it’s certainly very, very pretty.
Isbells – No Light Bright Light by Zealrecords
I can see it on the Belgian iTunes but as of yet I can’t see a purchase link for most other sectors. Let me know if you find one.
Here’s another absolute gem that Katie Brown put on my plate a few weeks back and has since made for a tasty feast. The thing about a good meal though, is that you don’t want to overeat. Thankfully that’s not a risk with Fierce Creatures who have slow roasted but one EP over the past two years. And for those who are now wondering, “Tommy! How much longer can this clumsy cooking analogy last!?”, I’ll answer that with these next few sentences. The one off banquet that Fierce Creatures have prepared for you is seasoned with folk stylings, gang vocals, electric guitar and what up and coming chefs these days are calling ‘indie’, whatever the hell that is. Attach your bib, loosen your belt and tuck into this.
Fierce Creatures – Satan Is A Vampire
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You can hear a few more tracks over here. No word on their next release at this point but if you want to get your hands on their most recent material then click right here. It won’t set you back much. Everyone loves a cheap feed right? Ok, I’m done.
