Beautiful chalk animation, co-directed by Yanni Kronenberg and Lucinda Schreiber, which befits the folk style of the music which comes from Firekites‘ album ‘The Bowery’.

Vimeo – www.vimeo.com/4347460

Partly recorded on the little island of Veckatimest in Massachusetts, Veckatimest is the third full-length album by Brooklyn-based indie rock band Grizzly Bear and it’s a nice continuation of their streak of musical acclaim in the indie genre. Mixing traditional chord-playing and electric guitar with intertwining voices, the four man band creates a blissful and breathtaking cocktail of nonconformist music which never loses its magic, however many times you play it.

If you’re still unsure of the music and want a free taster, there is a song, Cheerleader, available for free download on their site.

Website – www.grizzly-bear.net

Myspace – www.myspace.com/grizzlybear

The album is available on iTunes, Boomkat, and Amazon UK

Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (With Buzzing in Our Ears We Play Endlessly), the fifth album by the Icelandic band Sigur Rós, keeps true to its name, bringing to the table an album of unusual and full music. From the strong, rhythmic beat and playfulness of ‘Gobbeldigook’ to the quieter guitar and  vocals of ‘Íllgresi’, Sigur Rós juggles new styles with their usual formula to create a new experience that is sure to please and convert the masses.

A real favourite and a strong recommendation.

Website – www.sigur-ros.co.uk

Myspace -www.myspace.com/sigurros

(Live performance of ‘Inní mér syngur vitleysingur’ after the break.)

More…

Nice, and massively addictive, sinewave synthesizer for making repeating tunes out of art which has a Tenori-On aesthetic to it while, at the same time, costing much less.

Something for those rainy days or anytime you don’t mind being glued to a computer for a long time.

Website – lab.andre-michelle.com/tonematrix

Grandchildren was recently commissioned to do a music video for Fleet Foxes‘ song ‘Mykonos’ with only 4 weeks in which to create the finished product.Even with such a short timeframe, Grandchildren have produced an incredible abstract stop motion music video, perfectly suited to the song, in which everything is paper, adding substance to the surreal story and jumping the hurdle which many music videos cannot surpass – telling a story in just a few minutes.

Vimeo - vimeo.com/3089176

Website - www.bygrandchildren.com

Fridge is a post-rock band which uses an eclectic mix of styles with simple yet surreal beats and melodies, and are well-known for their Eph sampler. Furthermore, they have a relation to Four Tet as one of Fridges members is the solo artist of Four Tet.

Website – www.brainwashed.com/fridge/

Myspace – www.myspace.com/fridgemusic

This is an unsuaual post in that it relates to an album called In A Safe Place. In A Safe Place by The Album Leaf features collaborations between Icelandic groups Sigur Rós and Aniima, as well as work by James LaValle a multinstrumentalist. The combination of talent is incredible, producing a calming and beautifully conglomeration of intruments and vocals.

The Album Leaf – http://www.albumleaf.com

Myspace – http://www.myspace.com/thealbumleaf

Album is available on iTunes, Boomkat, Amazon US, and Amazon UK.

New London, Conneticut band ‘Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’ produces music of the genre ‘indie rock’ though this differs depending on where you look. Either way, their music is still the same, a mix of weird vocals with a different style from the current ‘popular music’.

Website – http://www.clapyourhandssayyeah.com

Myspace – http://www.myspace.com/clapyourhandssayyeah

The Cinematic Orchestra captured my attention through their album “The Man With The Movie Camera”, which is a mix of Jazz and Electronica. The simple melodies which are deeper than they seem at first are captivating and can be heard hundreds of times without wearing out.

Website - http://www.cinematicorchestra.com

Virb – http://www.virb.com/thecinematicorchestra

Image by newformula

Jonquil’s music is difficult to categorize as a certain type of music but it seems to be folk/experimental with clear, strong sounds. The band, from Oxford, has received much praise for its individuality and incredible gigs. A summary by Metro was: ”Beautiful weirdness”.

Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/jonquiluk