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Haim - Send Me Down

There doesn't seem to be an official video for this song so this one will have to do...

These sisters from San Francisco have already accumulated quite the A list fan base with Alex Turner and Azealia Banks claiming to be big fans. Not bad for a band that only started releasing music last year...

Matthew E White - Will You Love Me

Hello Matthew E White!

This guy is something really different. I'm not sure what genre you'd attempt to put him in (I think genre's can be overrated anyway, the most interesting artists usually blur the lines) but I guess Indie is the easiest - covers all manner of sins!

Enjoy, let him take you away...

Frightened Rabbit - The Woodpile

This Scottish band, though quite popular in the US, are still quite under the radar here. This new album is brilliant and, I imagine, sure to change that.

I doubt I'd be alone in comparing them to Glasvegas, another Scottish band that use similar tones and melodies in their music.

Iron & Wine - Naked as We Came

Just because... We should never go too long without injecting some Sam Beam into our day.

BOY - Little Numbers

I don't know much about this Swiss-German duo but I'm really enjoying learning... Apparently their music has been picked up by Apple for some of their adverts but I was introduced through a friend.

It's catchy pop and good harmonies done in an unoriginal but non-the-less enjoyable manner.

How to Dress Well - & It Was You

I love this guy. And I'm crazy about this tune.

He blends R&B with electro, soul and pop in an intense and emotive manner. Total Loss is a really great album that I've had on repeat since I discovered it. It can usually find me, regardless of my mood, and transport me into his own place, exactly where he wants us to be.There's a lot of sadness in the album but it's not a depressing listen, intense yes, but not depressing.

I can't wait to hear more from him.

Matt Corby - Brother (stripped back version)

Another Aussie anthem.

Such a gorgeous song from a singer that hasn't really made waves over our side of the world. One to watch though, I can't imagine it will stay that way for long...

Icona Pop - I Love It (feat. Charli XCX)

Now THIS is a pop tune!

We were hearing this is nightclubs and bars from the instant of our arrival in Sydney. It took us about a week of "remind me to look this up in the morning!" before we actually checked it out.

And it became our anthem.

It was the perfect combination of upbeat, sing along, shouting and base face to bring us along the East Coast in pure glee.

I haven't heard it in the Northern Hemisphere yet but I'm trying my damndest to introduce it. If not, at least it will always take me back to LaLaLand in Byron Bay and a room full of beautiful, sweaty, elated and inebriated Australians. Not a bad memory as they go...

Beyoncé - Superbowl Half Time

I must interrupt this Australian blogging to say... IS THERE NOTHING THIS WOMAN CAN'T DO?!

I'm a fully fledged lover of Queen Bey!

Taylor Swift - Trouble

I said Macklemore was the song of my Australia trip, but I never said I liked it. In fact, I find the song really annoying... Especially the "this is fucking awesome" line. It seems devoid of any tune or rhythm!

But the video is quite funny, you've got to give him credit for that!

And while we're on the topic of annoying...

I've never liked Taylor Swift. I find everything that she releases has a twinge of irritating to it. I don't necessarily want to dislike her, I just found I was never proven wrong... until now!

I really like this song and was singing along to it joyfully for a day or two before I realised who it was by, and was pleasantly surprised!

Who knew sweet Taylor could do grunge?!

I've listened to the rest of the album in the hopes that I would finally be turned, but alas it was not to be. Unfortunately they mostly revert back to her old ways but at least there's hope in sight.

Give it a few more albums and I could just be sporting a foam finger!

Macklemore - Thrift Shop

I've just spent the last two months travelling around the East Coast of Australia, it was an absolute dream of a holiday and the excuse I'm sticking to for being so absent on my blog!

I was surrounded by road-trip-tunes and gorgeous Aussie artists I hadn't been accquainted with yet, music dictated a lot of the journey.

But the stand out song, the mascot for my adventures, was definitely this- Thrift Shop. It dominated the airwaves while I was there and was even named Triple J's No.1 song of 2012 on Australia Day.

It will always remind me of sunshine, cocktails, waves and gorgeous men!

Spotify has landed in Ireland!

It's about time this music steam giant came to our fair shores. I use Deezer at the moment but it'll be interesting to compare the two and see which comes up trumps. The spotify programme syncs with your own music on your laptop which Deezer, as purely online software, doesn't. I'll have to explore a bit more to find all the other differences...

Wallis Bird - I am so Tired of that Line (Live at Whelan's, Dublin)

For some reason Wallis Bird has never really made it on my radar. I don't know why- her music and voice are inagruably brilliant. IT just never seemed to resonate with me.

But she was in our office a few weeks ago and left tickets to her upcoming gig in Whelans. I went... and was BLOWN AWAY! I cannot express how impressed I was. She was so full of life and enthusiasm and her vocals are so fantastic. She can hit every note with such impeccable emotion that you can't help but get absolutely sucked in.

Towards the very end of the set, for a particularly quiet and moving song she could not get the crowd up by the bar to shut up. So she unplugged her guitar and came down into the crowd, stopping halfway right beside me. Two of her bandmates followed her and they did a little impromtu song just for me (or at least that's how it felt!).

So after that, I could not recommend her highly enough! I've downloaded two of her albums and have fully hoped on the bandwagon.

#wallis bird #live music

Ben Howard - The Fear

I was at Ben Howard last week in The Olympia.

I really love his upbeat folk sound but I'm never blown away when I see him live. I think it's because the average age of the gigs tends to be about 17! I'm not sure when folk became cool, I'd blame it on the Mercury's but I was at a gig of his a while back and it was the same so I'm not really sure where to point the finger...

It was still enjoyable but I reckon it's the last time I'll see him play a solo gig anyway.

If I'm honest my true love affair is with his Cellist India Bourne. She's such an amazing musician I tend to spent the entire sets focused on her! She said before that The Fear is her favourite song to play so this is for her. Well played India!

Animal Collective - Brother Sport

I got to see these guys for the first time recently and I was not let down, they were incredible. I must admit, I'm a bit of a fairweather fan. When The Merriweather Post Pavillion was first released I absolutely fell in love. It's still one of my favourite albums ever. But I never really felt the same about any of their newer stuff. So this was really my only fan piece. They played a few songs from Merriweather, a few from newer albums and a few I didn't recognise.

But either way, it was a brilliant gig. The pacing was perfect and it wasn't too self indulgent which was a complaint I'd heard about a few of their previous gigs.

It was also possibly the most hispter affair I'll ever be part of!

#animal collective #live music

The Maccabees - Went Away

The Mercury Prize Album of the Year Shortlist has been announced and there were no massive surprises on it. I've been an Alt-J fan for quite some time (having been a former citizen of Leeds) and was delighted to see 'An Awesome Wave' being given the credit it was due. The Maccabees were destined to be on there. This album has been a big leap for them and finally seems to be showcasing them at their best. It would have been impossible to ignore the catchy pop beats that Django Django added to the start of our year, though I must admit- they're not a personal favourite of mine. Lianne La Havas has fantastic soul in her voice - I fell head over heels in love with her when I saw her perform on Later... With Jools Holland.

I think the awards might be marked more by those absent. How The XX weren't on that shortlist is beyond me. They have an incredibly original sound with noone out there matching them. Bombay Bicycle Club were also overlooked- they never seem to get the critical acclaim I, at least, think they deserve.

These are just two among many- Florence & the Machine; The Vaccines; Laura Marling and Kate Bush to name a few - should all have been given the stellar nod.

BUT, to end on a good note, the albums that have been shortlisted are all absolutely brilliant. Each one better than the last... Whoever wins it will be incredibly deserving.

#mercury prize

Wolf Gang - Lions in Cages

Moving away from Irish bands- these British guys are making huge waves, especially in the US. They're by no means underground any more- they played at the NME awards last year and have toured with the likes of Florence & the Machine, The Naked and Famous and Coldplay.

I came across them through a friend first last year and, being completely honest, forgot all about them. They somehow managed to fall off my radar until this song came on in a pub I was in over the weekend...

It sprung my love back into full force and I've been playing the album ever since.

Enjoy this bit of alt-rock and prepare to be typing your credit card details into the iTunes Store in no time.

#lions in cages #wolf gang #british #rock #alternative

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