Sean O'Neill

If you don't know him yet, check him out!

Another great talent is rising from Australia, singer-songwriter Sean O'Neill from Perth (now based in London). He has already released a solo EP back Down Under titled "Moving In Time". You can definitely hear his influences like Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens.

With this beautiful and compelling song "Vienna" he absolutely got my attention and I feel he has a promising future...

Cold Specks

If you don't know her yet, check her out!

I first heard her on an episode of "Sons of Anarchy", the song was called "Lay Me Down", a very soft but yet powerful song with great lyrics and a captivating voice.

Cold Specks aka Al Spx is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She released her debut album "I Predict a Graceful Expulsion" in 2012, appeared on two tracks of Moby's 2013 album "Innocents"and this year on Swans' track "Bring the Sun".

Her new album "Neuroplasticity" will be released on August. Here is a first track called "Absisto", as she says, it's one of the more unusual songs on the record...

Sontag Shogun

If you don't know them yet, check them out!

Sontag Shogun is Ian Temple, Jesse Perlstein and Jeremy Young. The trio beautifully mixes piano/keyboard melodies with electronic sounds.

cln

If you don't know him yet, check him out!

So this one is for fans of soft electronic beats. Callan Alexander aka cln is from Australia and he is only 18 years old. "Better Than" is the latest single from this young producer and it's also introducing his forthcoming EP "Sideways". 

Like him on Facebook and you will get the single for free!

Half Moon Run

I'm a little ashamed... they have like over 90'000 likes on Facebook and millions of views on Youtube, but I didn't know them until The Lumineers posted a video of them!

So Half Moon Run is a trio based in Canada. Their sound is a mix of indie, pop and folk with Devon Portielje as lead singer who's beautifully backed up by Connor Molander and Dylan Phillips.

If I wasn't a fan, I am now!

Siren

If you don't know them yet, check them out!

Siren are Kat Ostenberg and Skyler Stonestreet, two girls based in Los Angeles. Check out their first song "I Think I Like You" - pretty catchy!

Rhodes

If you don't know him yet, check him out!

Rhodes is David Rhodes from Herfordshire. The young english singer-songwriter has just released his new EP "Morning". It's his second EP following "Raise Your Love", and contains 4 original tracks produced by Ian Grimble (Daughter) and Tim Bran/Roy Kerr (London Grammar).

Still Parade

If you don't know them yet, check them out!

Well, it is really hard to find any information on Still Parade. All I know is that they are a band from Berlin and they make beautiful "Dream Folk" music.

They have just released their first EP called "Fields" that includes this mesmerizing song "Actors". Enjoy!

  

Black Pistol Fire

If you don't know them yet, check them out!

Black Pistol Fire is a drum-n-guitar blues-rock duo from Canada. Kevin McKeown (guitar/lead vocals) and Eric Owen (drums) have been friends since kindergarten and began playing muisc together when they discovered a shared passion for rock and roll music in high school.

Check out their full live performance on KEXP.

Music Documentary BEAUTIFUL NOISE

Beautiful Noise - a music documentary which was funded via Kickstarter - will premiere on May 31 and screen again on June 1 at the Seattle International Film Festival. 

"The definitive documentary about influential 80’s and 90’s guitar bands who harnessed massively loud sounds using a sea of effects pedals and delivered some of the most BEAUTIFUL NOISE ever recorded.

8 years in the making, with over 50 interviews, band members, music icons and tastemakers.

BEAUTIFUL NOISE is an in-depth exploration of a music movement in the late 20th century, a fascinating period when some innovative musicians mixed guitar noise into conventional pop song structures while maintaining a philosophy of letting the music speak for itself.

Although many of the people interviewed are notoriously press shy they have opened up about their music and experiences from over 20 years ago; how they defied the rules and became sonic innovators that have inspired so many."

Baby In Vain

If you don't know them yet, check them out!

They are female, they are young, they are from Denmark and they make grunge, blues and indie-inspired guitar-based noise rock.

Lola Hammerich, Benedicte Pierleoni and Andrea Thuesen formed the band Baby In Vain in 2010 and managed to break down both age and gender barriers in the genre with songs like "Sweetheart Dreams". I personally love it!

A record player that plays slices of wood

Austrian media artist Bartholomaus Traubeck takes tree rings and turns them into music. To make this music, he saws thin cross sections from trees, then, applying a mathematical formula, he plays the platters on a device that looks like a turntable.

And that's what comes out of it...

 

Jonas David

If you don't know him yet, check him out!

Comparing him to Bon Iver is nearly inevitable, so if you like Justin Vernon's music, I have a feeling you're gonna like this guy too. I'm referring to german artist Jonas David.

He started writing and recording his own songs at the age of 14. His debut album "Keep The Times" will send you on a emotional roller-coaster. Always carried by beautifully mellow harmonics, his voice transports temper very honest and sensitive.

Joseph

If you don't know them yet, check them out!

Joseph is a band of three sisters from Oregon. Their debut album "Native Dreamer Kin" can be downloaded for free here. An album that promises honest words and genetically perfected harmonies...

Farao

If you don't know her yet, check her out!

Kari Jahnsen aka Farao is a singer and multi-instrumentalist from Norway. Because it's one of her favourite countries, she went to Iceland, precisely Reykjavik, to write and record her self-titled debut EP. 
Farao beautifully mixes folk with chilly electronic textures. Just listen to the EP and let yourself be enchanted...

Need a Name

If you don't know him yet, check him out!

Italian born Dario Lupo aka Need a Name is a designer, artist and musician who creates beautiful cinematic, nostalgic, emotional, atmospheric ambient music.

His music is available on his website, there are some free downloads and some albums you can purchase at any price you want. If you need music for your media you can also  license his music.

The future of digital live music performance?

Ok, so this site is dedicated to spread good music, but once in a while, I will post other stuff around music that is worth checking out, like this quite interesting new "music device" created by the artist Imogen Heap (who most of you should already know) and her team.

So what is this new "music device" simply called The Gloves?  As described on her website:

"The Gloves are a cutting edge experimental gestural music ware being developed today for the purpose of Imogen Heap's studio and stage work. 

Using a unique gestural vocabulary, motion data-capture systems, and user interfaces to parameter functions developed by Imogen Heap and her team, artists and other users will be able to use their motion to guide computer-based digital creations. The Musical Gloves are both an instrument and a controller in effect, designed to connect the user fluidly with gear performers usually use, such as Ableton - think minority report for musicians brought to you by the DIY/maker revolution."

So in short, it's a device which enables you to perform your digital music using your body.

In this demo Imogen Heap explains and shows how it works (if you're only interested in the end result, watch the second video):

Yesterday Shop

If you don't know them yet, check them out!

Yesterday Shop is a five-man band from Germany. They released their first album in 2012 and created at the same time their own label Trickser.

"Music. It's all about that. And it needs to be listened. That's the task of Trickser."

Playful, melodious, dreamy, melancholic indie/pop/shoegaze - that's Yesterday Shop.

Check out their new album PARADOS coming out May 9th.

Folly Rae

If you don't know her yet, check her out!

Folly Rae is a half-norwegian, half-english singer from Hertfordshire.

She released the song "Make It There" with Koven (previously introduced on this blog) and will hopefully be releasing her own music soon. Here is a little foretaste that sounds really promising...