Isaac Graham - "Nomads" video

I have many a musical weakness and everything that Australian singer/songwriter Isaac Graham does seems to fit the bill. Punk-inspired folk, recording simply but masterfully on a Tascam 8 track player, being Australian; there's not much to dislike about Graham. His new video for the debut single "Nomads" off his debut album Empty Vessels is just lovely. Scenes of Graham alone with some recording equipment are featuring alongside him in a record store, walking around as his band members form more-or-less around him. It's the same simplicity that had me regretting my decision to ignore Graham for the better part of a year. Never again.

Enjoy the video for Isaac Graham's "Nomads":

Telekinesis - "Country Lane" video

Every band does it. At least once during a band's life they will make a video of a live performance or showcasing their tour if they make a video at all. But that inevitability aside, Telekinesis' new video for "Country Lane" puts all those other videos to shame. Beginning as a sort of scrapbook, Polaroids of the bands travels become videos of the band playing, traveling, and just having a good time. It's fun and a new take on the tour video that every band seems to do. It's short, sweet, and accompanied by a great song that I had almost forgotten about.

The Lost Cavalry - "Snow City Radio" video

With the release of their new EP about two weeks away, British chamber pop group The Lost Cavalry offered up a new video for title-track "Snow City Radio" earlier today and it's absolutely beautiful. Directed by jack-of-all-tradesman Mark West, the video is wonderfully minimalistic featuring Bryan O'Neil slowly thawing out in a arctic radio tower, only to be frozen again immediately following the energetic shout-chorus. It's simple but not lazy and really allows you to focus on the track which just happens to be great as well. Catch the video for "Snow City Radio":



Don't forgot you can listen to Snow City Radio EP here.

Sondre Lerche - "Domino" video

When Sondre Lerche announced the premiere of video for "Domino" earlier today on Spin, I had a sense of deja vu. This has happened before. About six months ago, actually. Several months before the release of his self-titled album, friend Katie Barker-Froyland directed the video for the first single off the album. And while Lerche slowly sets to create videos for almost every track on the album a la a indie-pop Beyonce, remaking videos is apparently fair game. The remake of "Domino" is directed by Sondre's wife Mona who first flexed her directing skills in the video for "Go Right Ahead".

"Domino" has considerably less plot than "Go Right Ahead", "Private Caller", or any other Lerche video in recent memory. There's shots of Sondre in the suburbs and some girls acting progressively weirder throughout the video. There's seances, clown makeup, wedding veils, and a random black-clad crone. It's strange, creepy, surreal but beautifully shot and a lot more interesting to watch than Lerche's first attempt. So kudos to the Lerche duo for one-upping themselves pretty much effortlessly.

Enjoy the video for "Domino":

Pitstop: Carter Tanton

My discovery of Carter Tanton is a testament to how awesome Turntable.fm still is despite it's minor brush with irrelevance. Max Blau of Paste Magazine put the track "Murderous Joy" up and I was immediately sold. Before he even mentioned that Carter Tanton was actually the guitarist from Baltimore's Lower Dens and had a track featuring Marissa Nadler. Sold and Sold. That was enough for me promise I would check out Tanton's debut album Free Clouds out November 15th.

And yet if the slow, folksy whisper of "Murderous Joy" isn't enough to win your favor, Tanton has two other tracks available for consumption. There's bristling, raucous "Horoscope" and the aforementioned track featuring Marissa Nadler, "Fake Pretend".

The constant between these three rather different songs is Tanton's silky, evocative vocals - comforting and caressing even amid the stormy, bustling "Horoscope" and "Fake Pretend" and doubly so in downtempo "Murderous Joy". The ease at which Tanton switches moods is all the assurance I need that Free Clouds in a sure fire must listen.

Free Clouds is out November 15th on Western Vinyl. Get a taste of Carter Tanton:
01 MURDEROUS JOY by NYLONmag

06 HORRORSCOPE by NYLONmag

You can listen to "Fake Pretend" at Spin here.

Little Tybee - Humorous to Bees (2011)

About two months ago when I was first introduced to Atlanta folk group Little Tybee, I used their sophomore album Humorous to Bees as a reference point and measure of how great my like of them was. It’s not only because Little Tybee juggle a mass of instruments or craft the delightful kind of orchestral pop that seems to be my Achilles heel but because the album is just plain good.

Each song on Humorous to Bees is not only an incredibly well written and spectacularly arranged but also intensely strong. That’s a pretty impressive feat for a 12 song album. Even the 30 second eponymous album opener is a worthwhile bit of composition. I mentioned in my intro that what separates Little Tybee from the other folk pop collectives around is their musical egalitarianism and that’s still true but it’s also the fact that Little Tybee has a talent for remarkable stunning arrangements. Everything from the miniscule – the smile-inducing glockenspiel and pizzicato in “The Wind Will Blow You Love” or those unexpected little blue notes that color so many of the album's songs to the grandiose moments of unfettered flights of fancy right after subtle build ups.

In a year that’s been characterized with spectacular debuts and so-so follow ups, it’s a real treat to get to hear an album like Little Tybee’s Humorous to Bees – it’s finely tuned and wonderfully polished but not overly so, mature without being condescending, and just filled with fantastic musical moments all around. It both sets my expectations high for their next outing as well as sets a brand new standard for the folk orchestra I love so much. Humorous to Bees in an absolute music marvel filled with just the right mix of unpredictability, sincere, and well-crafted songwriting. A definite must listen for anyone claiming to listen to music with substance.

Pitstop: Vanaprasta

One of the greatest surprises at CMJ was a band I almost didn't see. When Headless Horseman dropped out of We Listen For You's day party, Silverlake rock quintet Vanaprasta stepped up to fill in on incredibly short notice and put on a absolutely great live show. Energetic beyond measure, one of the highlights of the performance was when guitarist/sampler Cameron Dmytyrk jumped off stage with a sleigh bell, ran out of the room, and returned with interested folks to watch their previously sparsely attended opening set. A band after my own heart. Not only were they inventive and charismatic but their tunes were just good. That special kind of good where you throw all care to the wind and toe-tap, head-bob, and eventually cut completely loose. Their music is part arena rock, part energy-fueled slow jams and full of infectious good vibes and great musicianship. And sleigh bells. A band after my heart, indeed. Since the release of their debut album today, I've listen to it an almost embarrassingly great amount of times and it doesn't get any less greater with each listen.

Check out Vanaprasta, you'll be glad you did.


Vanaprasta's debut album Healthy Geometry is out today so make sure you grab it if you like what you hear. You can stream the album here.