New Album from Soko

It's hard to believe that Soko hasn't had an actual album out yet. She's been the poster girl for the French singer songwriter movement for a while now (see the playful angst of I'll Kill Her and the almost heartbreakingly sweet If You Break My Heart) but amazingly enough, she's yet to release a full album of her own. So after so much buzz about her on teh interwebz over the past few years, it's about time she show us all what she can do. Just as well she's (allegedly) bringing one out in February then.

After taking a break from music due to her self-proclaimed "death,"it appears that Soko is set to be resurrected with new album I Thought I Was an Alien. I think I speak for all of us when I say yay!

From the sounds of the teaser track which goes by the same name, I Thought.. is going to be a much more dreamy, whimsical incarnation of the Soko we (vaguely) know and love. I've got a good feeling that this album will be worth the wait and will give her the success she deserves- definitely one to watch out for.

Feeling Christmassy yet? No? Me neither. Infact, I'd probably be silently judging you if you were; it's early November for goodness sake, let's not wish the year away quite yet shall we? Nevertheless, I think we can all agree that this time of year has no other redeeming qualities. We can all gush about the falling leaves and the festive glow but when it comes down to it it's still bloody cold and everything feels like far too much effort. So, after one of those days, I've decided to start Christmas that little bit earlier, just this once.

As far as collaborations go, I wasn't expecting the likes of Tim Wheeler to team up with Emmy the Great, but it kind of works. Although 'Home for the Holidays' is almost nauseatingly sweet, it's definitely a grower. Perhaps by the time Christmas rolls around you'll be ready to forgive the sleighbells and find something to relish about winter, even if it's still miserable outside.

Music matters- as if we needed reminding...

http://www.whymusicmatters.org/

Time for my annual 'sorry I've neglected you' post it seems. Whenever the school year starts again my priorities tend to go out of the window and everything musical gets put on the backburner- ridiculous I know. I mean really, what's more important than blathering on about the veritable cornucopia of new releases and hype bands that's out there? So naturally, with 3 essays due in the space of a fortnight, I've done the sensible thing and returned to where

I belong for those extra few minutes of procrastination. Ah, it's good to be back.

Anyway, narcissism aside, over the past few weeks I've been collecting new music with the same vigour of a nerdy 90's kid collecting Pokemon cards. Over the next few days I'll be showcasing some of the spoils of my quest in the hopes of forgetting about the imminent coldness and melancholy that is winter.

First up is London based 'goth' quartet Veronica Falls.

Cool, simplistic and very very hipster, Veronica Falls make music designed to charm. Despite suicide, stalkers and all manner of bleak things featuring on their debut self titled record, the group's naive harmony and 80's inspired swirling guitar leaves one feeling more chilled than creeped out.

While there isn't much in the way of diversity here, it doesn't seem to be entirely a bad thing. Each song effortlessly drifts into the next to ensure maximum mellowness; not great if you're looking for something to awaken your senses and get you on the dancefloor, but perfect for the morning after the night before.

If you're planning on donning some black rimmed glasses and dipping your toe into the pool of hipster, Veronica Falls is a great place to start.

Veronica Falls is out now

After stumbling across this over on The Recommender, I literally can't get enough.

This is exactly the kind of sleazy, devil may care grunge that's just perfect for a friday night. Everything from the ambivalent vocals to the mesh of musical styles both old and new, to the (rather inventive) comic book she's released to coincide with the single indicate that Foe isn't just another female alt artist, but something much more fresh and exciting. Foe is definitely one to watch out for, it's only a matter of time before she becomes a permanent fixture in the UK's indie and alternative scene.

Deep Water Heartbreaker is out now, featuring the stunning B-Side 'The Fox.'

Humble Beginnings.

Another day, another songwriter. Or at least that's what it's starting to seem like lately. Maybe the lukewarm summer sun is bringing them out from the shadows or perhaps they're just spurred on by the likes of folk posterboy Frank Turner: either way it's clear that everyone and his horse wants to get in on a bit of the action. While this can only be a good thing in terms of music as a whole, it's easy for a genre of this calibre to become stagnant and bland. However, every so often you find one artist interesting enough to make up for the stream of generic folk types, and today that's in the form of Mr Ben Parcell.

With an album entitled Humble Beginnings, Ben Parcell certainly lives up to expectations. Laidback and carefree, it draws on both punk and folk influences from the likes of Green Day and Billy Bragg to create an upbeat vibe that's perfect for accompanying days spent lazing about in the sun. Parcell, a self-confessed Turner fan, has clearly taken a leaf out of his hero's book when it comes to making music both passionate and distinctive; something that songs like Close Your Eyes do very well.

While it's not going to completely alter your conception of reality and there appears to be a distinct lack of hooks, this is a record that doesn't boast anything other than what it is. A good, solid, humble beginning. Having only started making music in 2010, Parcell has clearly got a long way to go until he draws in crowds on the scale of Turner and Bragg, but it seems to me that he's definitely one to watch out for in the future. I think I'll be keeping an eye on him (in a non-stalkery capacity).

Humble Beginnings is out now and you can catch Ben at the Dutchess, Scarborough on the 28th of August.

Pull us a Pint, Boys

From JLS condoms to Manics party poppers, there seems to be no end to the lengths musicians (or rather their labels) will go to ensure we buy tacky crap with their logo on, moreso now that bands have to contend with a recovering economy and largescale piracy, amongst other such bother.

Personally I've never been one to buy into that kind of thing; admittedly I've been known to get a poster or two in my time, but largely I think the music is more than enough. I'd much prefer to use the money to see them at a gig rather than get some t-shirt that my mother will inevitably shrink in the wash.

However, the latest addition to the mountains of merch is something I think I can get behind. Rather appropriately, Northern band Elbow are set to release their very own brand of beer.

Robinson's brewery have created their very own brand of beery goodness as a tribute to the homegrown band's current success, having played some of the biggest festivals in the country and managing to pick up a second Mercury nomination for Build a Rocket Boys!

While the beer had previously only been available in the band's local city of Manchester, Robinson's have decided to roll out Build a Rocket Boys! beer and cask ale to the rest of the country as from October, with a significant percentage of sales going towards Oxfam's East Africa famine appeal.

As a fan of the frothy stuff, I'm intrigued to see if this will actually be any good. It's certainly a marketable idea in an age where many are scrimping on the luxuries but still want to enjoy a nice cold pint or two.

If you're interested in finding out just what Build a Rocket Boys! tastes like, keep an eye on 'Elbow beer' on Facebook for more info on when the beer will be released.