Bon Iver and La Blogotheque

Hello there people, today I'd like to talk to you about two wonderful things. They are the fantastic album For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver and the splendid website La Blogotheque.

Bon Iver's debut LP is a mesmerising, deep record which gets better with every listen and is essential for every Elliott Smith/Jeff Buckley fan. He recorded it in a mountain shack in the depth of the American winter, only pausing to chop up fire wood or hunt for deer to eat. It was put together on very simple equipment but the end result is stunning as Mr Iver (aka Justin Vernon) meticulously layered up vocal and guitar parts to create a very rich sound. It also helps that he is blessed with a voice that would reduce practically anyone on the planet into a quivering, sobbing wreck.

La Blogotheque, meanwhile, is a French website which posts up beautifully shot video clips of all your favourite bands playing impromptu street gigs on swish Parisian back roads. It is one of those sites that make you fall to your knees and exclaim: God bless the internet.

I've been meaning to write something about both these things for some time now so when La Blogotheque recently posted some Bon Iver clips I was spurred into action.

Here's Lump Sum:


Check out the full show at La Blogotheque

Download Bon Iver's Skinny Love

The above polaroid of Bon Iver was snapped by Alex at his London show at St Giles church recently.

Ally

Sonny J

Thanks to everyone who came down to our club night last Friday. Everything went well except for some over zealous security staff who thought it was appropriate to call the police after someone had tested a pen on the side of a construction site.

One of the songs i was most looking forward to playing was Sonny J's edit of an old Donna Hightower song 'Handsfree (If You Hold My Hand)'. I haven't got a copy of the album yet but this guy seems set to tear up this summer. For some unknown reason, i didn't play the record in all the confusion so i'll just have to play it here instead.

Sonny J - Handsfree (If You Hold My Hand)

And while i'm at it, here's another one.

Sonny J - Enfant Terrible

Buy music from Sonny J at Rough Trade here.

Alex

Lost Classics - The UMC's

The UMC's are a bit of an enigma. Not quite Native Tongues, not quite Daisy Age and, hailing from Staten Island, always playing second fiddle to their neighbourhood peers. Some heads out there will probably know 'One To Grow On' or maybe 'Blue Cheese' but if you should dig out a copy of their album 'Fruits of Nature' as i did from ebay recently, you'll find an album that plays like the hip-hop classic album you've never heard. Somewhere between 'Midnight Marauders' and Slick Rick's 'The Great Adventures Of...', why the hell didn't i find it 15 years ago?

Check out this track, definitely getting a spin at the next Beat Poetry night on the 13th June.

The UMC's - Never Never Land

Alex