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Back in high school I would religiously play albums I liked over and over and over.  As I’ve grow older these albums are becoming few and far between.  Once in a blue moon I come across one that I can’t stop listening to.  Some groups of the last several years are The Clientele, Starsailor, and The Shout Out Louds.  Recently I discovered a group called The Last Shadow Puppets, and for me their music has proved to be some of the most exciting and creative that I have come across in recent years.  Like a lot of the music that I’ve been enjoying recently their music has a retro 60s feel to it.  However, this group has a dynamic quality that I haven’t come across in years.  A sense of urgency that makes you think that their music flows out of them like water, more like rapids in this case.  The orchestral aspect of their music is definitely the strongest selling point for me.  Strings, horns – you name it it’s there.  Very good stuff that you should check out today.

Purchase the album here: Age of the Understatement

I’m a big fan of Belle and Sebastian. In fact if you ask me on certain days I’ll tell you that they are my favorite group. Stuart Murdoch, the lead singer and songwriter for the group, recently did a solo project (which still incorporated musicians from B and S). The album is basically a soundtrack for a yet to be produced movie that Murdoch wrote. You can definitely hear his song writing in the music, but there are some definite changes. There is a female singer who Murdoch found in an internet search, who has an excellent sound to her voice (I hope they tour with her to sing the Isobel Campbell parts of old songs), and a strong 60’s girl group sound to the music. I’m finding the album very pleasurable to listen to. There are a few moments on it that may be a little too “sweet” sounding, but I highly recommend it!

I put off listening to this album for quite a while. Not sure why, but when one of my favorite websites for music Pitchfork named it the top album of the year I gave it a go!  It is very mellow, harmonious and beautiful.  When I listen to it I want to be in a small cottage in the countryside upper New England with snow falling outside while sitting next to a blazing fire.  Does that peak you interest enough!