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Alt-J: Something GoodBUY HERE Meet UK-bred quartet, and must-know band, Alt-J. Taking on the delta sign as their symbol, they represent change and introduce us to folk as we’ve never known it: what they call “folk-step.”
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Of Monsters and Men: Mountain SoundBUY HERE Through a perfected blend of folk-pop, Of Monsters and Men guide us around a frigid island set on the Mid-Atlantic ridge covering 39,756 square miles; a swollen peninsula named Iceland where ferocious, fantastical beasts roam.
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Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: That’s What’s UpBUY HERE There are, undoubtedly, heads double taking their Shazam results, and radio heads tilting in surprise to find that this flower child of a single was birthed after 1970.
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King Charles: Ivory RoadListen to “Ivory Road” here BUY HERE King Charles is the Weird Al of silly-sweet lyrics. His poet’s pen is trenching through our heads defeating every piece of love-doubting skepticism with each verbal stroke. Perhaps its the supposed wisdom shining off that royal mustache, but it seems that sentimental prose could be written in his sleep.
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Sharon Van Etten: SerpentsListen to “Serpents” here BUY HERE Folk-forward and vocally spellbinding, Sharon Van Etten and her veteran sounds pierce sound clouds again with her latest single “Serpents,” off her new album Tramp, out February 7 on Jagjaguwar. The East Coaster
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The Belle Brigade: I Didn’t Mean ItListen to “I Didn’t Mean It” here American brother and sister duo, The Belle Brigade, return to Trendland’s pages with a spunk not yet realized in their last visit. “I Didn’t Mean It” showcases a retro rock ‘n’ roll side to their familial folkness. It’s ironic that the track snuck off The Twilight Saga: Breaking
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First Aid Kit: The Lion’s RoarListen to “The Lion’s Roar” here BUY HERE Ever since that Youtube cover of Fleet Foxes’ “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” hit my laptop, First Aid Kit has been on my radar. The Swedish sisters manage to construct an alchemy of vocal harmony
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Fanfarlo: DeconstructionListen to “Deconstruction” here Listen to “Reconstruction” here BUY HERE After being sorely missed, Fanfarlo has finally released more tunes to turn their fans’ worlds right-side-up again. “Deconstruction,” plus B-side, ”Reconstruction,” is the pair of singles the London-based five some have chosen to reheat the waters. To be followed by their whole album debut
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The Belle Brigade: Sweet LouiseListen to “Sweet Louise” here BUY HERE “I just fell in love, and I couldn’t help myself.” My sentiments exactly for The Belle Brigade‘s “Sweet Louise,” gem of a track. There is an overwhelmingly beautiful feeling created by this folksy Fleetwood Mac-esque group. The organic, guy-girl harmonies are sweet on the ear riding on an [...]
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Of Monsters and Men: Little TalksListen to “Little Talks” Here Buy Here Of Monsters and Men‘s “Little Talks” speaks volumes, despite its misleading title. It’s a fun-filled party of a song, with tooting horns, acoustics, and drum smashing that forms a rager in your ears. The back and forth conversation of sweet nothings and somethings between the duo throughout the [...]
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Mexican Institute Of Sound : Escribeme ProntoListen To “Escribeme Pronto” here Mexican native Camilo Lara is the mastermind behind the Mexican Institute of Sound (MIS). The president of EMI Mexico City as well as being DJ/Producer, he started MIS as a musical project which was part of a electronica movement in Mexico whose main agenda was to encourage the fusion of [...]
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She & Him : In The SunEver heard of Munchausen by Proxy? No? Well they’re only the best fictional band ever. Check out the world famous Jim Carrey in Yes Man and you’ll discover Zooey Deschanel proving her rock chops. Sure her pipes shone bright in Elf, but this actress turned dorky rock star teamed up with guitar maven Matt Ward [...]