Hello Moto

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AUSTRIAN dance DJ Clara Moto's minimal dance album Polyamour has lots to love about it.
Never full on, Moto - real name Clara Prettenhofer - has a subtle house sound that could easily get swallowed up in a DJ set - on first play it may come across as set-list filler rather than dancefloor filler.
But the album from the DJ, who has a musical background in classical and jazz which helps raise her compositins above the formulaic, rather than grabbing the listener gradually sucks them in, like a nice hug.
And this delicate touch makes Polyamour the perfect soundtrack to the calm after the storm, an hypnotic comedown-soundtracking joy.

Wave Pictures new album

WYMESWOLD band The Wave Pictures have released a limited new album, Susan Rode The Cyclone.
The 10-track LP will be a limited release, with only 750 copies available worldwide on white vinyl and mp3 download.
A band spokesman said: "The Wave Pictures do not tire of playing their contagious cheek on whatever stage allows them to do so, in fact they make the most of the quiet moments between tour and tour to go into the studio and come out with a collection of cheeky and playful songs in which folk and pop come together in completely naturally."
To mark the release, the group will be playing dates in Germany and Austria, as well as playing the Italian gigs cancelled due to the recent volcanic ash disruption.
A further release, the Sweetheart EP, is set for a June release alongside UK tour dates.

I should CocoRosie

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DON'T be fooled by the God awful cover art - CocoRosie's Grey Oceans is worth 'seaing' through.
The duo of sisters Sierra Casady AKA Rosie and Bianca Casady AKA Coco weigh anchor and set sail on a voyage through a fantastic landscape - as in, a world of imagination.
For instance Smokey's Taboo is new age hip hop, Hopscotch revolves around a 1920s piano trill, Lemonade mixes orchestral indie with electro beats and squelches, Grey Oceans is delicate introspective singer songwriter shtick, Fairy Paradise has an almost techno beat, and so on.
Bursting with invention and enthisiasm, CocoRosie's Grey Oceans is well worth a dip.

Maia-be, Maia-be not

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WRITING a review of Maia Sharp's Echo is one of the hardest I've had to pen for this blog - and not because it's the first I've attempted since the birth of my new baby girl.
Even listening to the LP while grouchy, knee-deep in nappies and with bleary eyes, the Sheryl Crow-esque LP has few faults - Sharp's vocals are crisp and distinctive, her songwriting is clever, the production is excellent.
On paper, it's great.
But on reflection, Echo is just too safe and too middle of the road to excite me - I don't know why, but Sharp doesn't cut it in practice.

Sound Advice joins Sound Cloud

EYES right this morning and you'll notice Sound Advice has a new orange button to press.
The site has now signed up to the Sound Cloud social network alongside Facebook, Last.FM and Twitter, and is accepting musical submissions.
Anyone is welcome to drop tracks in my box for consideration and they could end up reviewed or posted on the site.
Also, later today, expect a few home-cooked tracks to be uploaded...

Kevin Costner's Turn It On a turn-off

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WATERWORLD we live in, where Hollywood A-listers can just fandango into the recording studio and put together an album willy nilly, whereas the likes of me continue to languish in obscurity.
But enough of my struggle.
Some of these stars, musically, are untouchables - Juliette Lewis's Juliette And The Licks, Jared Leto's 30 Seconds To Mars - but others, like Kevin Costner And Modern West, see the actors merely chasing dreams.
Turn It On, the group's second, sees them turn out derivative Bruce Springsteen-style country-tinged rock and roll - pub rock if you will.
And while the group play it to the bone, the material just doesn't make the cut.

Listen to new Young Knives material

A DEMO of a new Young Knives track, ILoveMyName, has been posted on the internet.
Henry Dartnall, the Leicestershire group's frontman, uploaded the track, saying: "Demo of a new track which will almost probably be on our new album maybe."
ILoveMyName (demo) by helpmedarling

On OK

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FORMER 9 Lazy 9 member Funki Porcini's new album On isn't a complete turn-off, but it is a little disappointing.
The album opening of the not-so-hilarious musical joke Moog River followed the excellent jazzy downbeat beats of This Aint The Way To Live is a microcosm of On.
Because when Funki Porcini, real name James Braddell, is on it, he's simply awesome, lounging with the best of them.
It just needed someone to see off the not so thrilling moments - such as Robert Crumb's Natural Gait - before the album was finished.

Dap-Kings a royal treat

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I LEARNED The Hard Way is a blast from the past.
Following the success of 100 Days, 100 Nights, Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings don't rock the boat for this follow-up - they continue to funk and soul it.
The '70s-sounding funk band backing are the perfect vehicle for the Motown-esque pipes of Jones, who is a joy on grooves like Better Things To Do and Without A Heart.
So if you're not yet educated in the ways of these revivalists, let this be a lesson to you.

Lodger bodged

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DON'T expect Flashbacks, the new LP by The Lodger, to take up permanent residence in your collection.
Because the Leeds band's latest LP seems to hark back to the dying days of Britpop, when every Tom, Dick and Travis could make themselves at home in the charts.
This may be a little harsh on The Lodger, who have some delightful moments, such as the Wave Pictures outro to Flashbacks.
The problem is their music tends to keep itself to itself, and as a result, the album underwhelms.

Do the Hustle

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TRANS-CONTINENTAL band Gogol Bordello's Trans-Continental Hustle straddles genres like the group straddles borders.
The New York group led by moustached Ukrainian Eugene Hutz, who spent time living in Poland, Hungary, Austria, and Italy before moving to America, mix high energy gypsy folk music with acerbic punk rock, performance theatre and confrontational Brechtian caberet.
The rabble-rousing results are energetic and eclectic, with Hutz - who sounds like a drunk Serj Tankian - exuding real star quality, making up for any jarring moments with the gutsy bravado to yell and growl and moan through it.

Avi look at this one

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THE self-titled album from youthful Californian band Avi Buffalo, led by singer songwriter Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg’s distinctive vocal, has a sun-bleached feel to its indie folk sound.
The LP has a dreamy, sleepy feel that makes listening to it like sinking into a worn armchair.
If I didn’t know that it isn’t out until Monday, I’d think Avi Buffalo was an obscure ‘60s gem dug out of a dusty crate found in a forgotten attic.
A pleasing strummer for the summer, Avi Buffalo’s Avi Buffalo - I suggest you buy, son.

Son Luxury

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SON Lux is aiming to shoot up the charts with a new EP, Weapons.
The genre-straddling American producer, real name Ryan Lott, has crafted a variations on a theme of Weapons, a track from his 2008 album At War With Walls And Mazes.
And with an arsenal of classical strings, trip hop beats and atmospheric production at work, as well as a helping hand from remixers Polyphonic and Nico Muhly and rapper Alias, the EP hits its target.

New Download acts uploaded

NEW names have been 'leaked' onto the lineup of the official Download Festival website today.
The 14 new acts added to the Castle Donington festival are Genitorturers, Killing For Company, Godsized, Max Raptor, The Morning After, Ben Poole, Funeral Party, Imicus, The Humour, The Dead Lay Waiting, T-34 and Esoterica.
Festival spokesman Andy Copping said: "Fill your boots."

Icelandic Volcano scuppers tour

THE mighty Eyjafjallajokull volcano has forced local band the Wave Pictures to cancel their European tour dates.
A spokesman for the Wymeswold band, who were due to play Milan, Pordenone, Pescara, Ravenna, Molfetta and Ferrarain Italy this month, said: "Very regrettably, The Wave Pictures Italian tour has been cancelled due to transport problems caused by the Icelandic volcano.
"We hope to have new tour dates soon."
Meanwhile Basement Jaxx, whose Felix Buxton went to school in Loughborough, are trapped in Dubai after their flights were cancelled following a Middle Eastern gig.
According to reports, the dance act have been deep-sea fishing, played golf and have been to the Royal Mirage hotel.

Download will be Bullet For My Valentine's day

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WELSH metalcore band Bullet For My Valentine should get the temperatures rising at this year’s Download with Fever, their latest LP.
Because the album, their third studio outing, is their most stereotypically epic hornthrowing trad metal effort to date, and deserves to be turned up to 11 at the spiritual home of metal music, Castle Donington.
Without trying to be too clever by experimenting with their sound here, Fever cements Bullet For My Valentine's place as the biggest British straight heavy metal band around in 2010.
With added accesibility - and a few power ballads - they do run a gauntlet of cheesiness, occasionally raising a cringeworthy moment lyrically in amongst the relentless guitar grooves, driving drums and tinkling solos, such as on title track and lead single Fever.
But when they hit Donington Park this Summer, headlining the Second Stage on Friday, providing they keep the ballads to a minimum, Fever’s tunes should prove to be mightily infectious.

Ouh knows what's going on

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PAN-European synth-punk-popsters Stereo Total have a child-like quality to their music on Baby Ouh!.
Because for large swathes of their 10th album, the French/German duo sound like their the house band on a Saturday morning kid's TV show.
Probably their other biggest influences are student drama productions, and maybe a splash of LSD.
Because the subject matter, as far as my stilted French and German can tell, is a little odd - all comicbook robots and bearded men and having metal arms and god knows what else.
These recordings can seem a little forced as a result, but I bet they put on a good live show.

Bootyful

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I IMAGINE Poirier’s gigs shake more booty than a pirate with Parkinsons.
Although Canadian, the Montreal electro dancehall producer’s sound on Running High is more evocative of the Caribbean, with fast paced tracks like Coco Drunk and Warehouse impossible not to move to.
The only problem with is the beat and bleep and bassline riddims are all too computerised and clearcut - from time to time something is needed to blur the edges.
Luckily the guest vocalists prove this point and solve it, with the tracks with contributions from the likes of Burro Banton, Face-T and the improbably-deep voiced MC Zulu breaking up the tracklisting.
Poirier’s stock should be running high on this form.

Holmes coming

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FOR fans of electronica, Holmes is where the heart is.
Over the past 20 years, when the Northern Irish DJ hasn’t been soundtracking feature films, running hugely influential club nights or helping rock bands produce their albums, he’s been churning out endless tunes that are cooler than a frozen cucumber.
The Dogs Are Parading is a best-of collection, 29-tracks strong, which is a perfect snapshot of Holmes work - strutting through the chaotic early work such as My Mate Paul to the atmospheric likes of 69 Police and on to the slicker new material like You’re On Fire (Too Fat), as well as a glut of remixes.
So head out on walkies and fetch yourself a copy of The Dogs Are Parading - it’s a dance fan’s best friend.

Chart toppers at Loughborough University

MR HUDSON, the man behind one of the Albums Of The Year 2009, Straight No Chaser, has announced the support acts for his Loughborough University gig.
Appearing alongside Mr Hudson on May 1 will be Pass Out star Tinie Tempah, as well as Midlands MC Tenny Ten.
For more information on the gig, which is open to the general public, click here.

Radio Dept fuzzy

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A QUICK flick across the FM dial and you’ll be hard pressed to collect a stranger set of reference points than Radio Dept exhibit on Clinging To A Scheme.
Because the group’s sound is a mixture of twee happy jangly indie pop, sombre moody shoegaze vocals and dated ‘80s-sounding muffled computer drumbeats.
This strange melding of sound is not as exciting as you might expect - in fact for huge swathes of the album it’s seriously undewhelming.
That’s not to say the Swedish band aren’t necessarily bad - I won’t hear a bad word about the scattered standout tracks like David and Heaven’s On Fire - but they do come across as clinging to another era.

Simple Minds the real deal at Glastonbudget

EIGHTIES legends Simple Minds will headline this year’s Glastonbudget Festival in Wymeswold.
The monsters of mock festival hosts the best tribute acts from around the UK as well as up and coming amateur acts at Turnpost Farm - but they also book one “real” act to headline the event.
Previous years have seen the likes of Chesney Hawkes and Buster Bloodvessel take to the stage, and this year Simple Minds are top of the bill for the festival, from May 28-30.
A spokesman said: “Simple Minds are to headline as the “real” act at this year’s Glastonbudget - well two of the original line-up are anyway!
“With such a big name on the line-up Glastonbudget 2010 will be an event surely not to be missed.”
Other confirmed tribute acts are The Fillers, Oasish, Blurb, Atomic Blondie, One Step Behind, Coldplace and Greendate.
For more information visit www.glastonbudget.net

Shouldpigeon

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COO! What a glorious noise Woodpigeon make.
The Canadian eight-piece collective’s sound is undeniably a lo-fi one on Die Stadt Muzikanten.
But their understated Grizzly Bear-style indie folk compositions are given wings by a treasure trove of instrumentation and vocal harmony, with the sheer scale of the album’s gorgeousness unrelenting over 17 long, value for money tracks.
A subtle and soothing collection, allow yourself a few listens to Die Stadt Muzikanten and you’ll be cooing too.

Alabama 3 on for Off The Tracks

The line-up for the Off The Tracks Spring Festival being held in Isley Walton on May 28-30 has been revealed.
Headliners for the event this year will be Alabama 3, a British band who mix rock, dance, blues, country, and gospel.
Also lined up are The Beat, Martin Simpson, The Popes, The Ukrainians, Flipron, The Kittiwakes, The Whybirds, Twisted Routes, Jon Gomm, Bleeding Hearts, The David Gibb Band, Akayzia, Jama, Oka Vanga, Dragonsfly, El Mahico, Warblefly, Biggles Wartime Band and more.
A spokesman said: “The three day festival will include two stages, 45 real ales, acoustic sessions, stalls, good food, atmospheric surroundings, family friendly, excellent camping facilities and showers, children's play area, circus workshops and more.”
For more information and to book tickets visit www.offthetracks.co.uk

Buggle up

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EIGHTIES superstars Buggles, the first band to be played on MTV, have their ‘lost’ second album Adventures In Modern Recording released next week.
And it’s clear why the album, which features production from Shepshed’s Bruce Woolley, never hit the heights of The Age Of Plastic and the stratospheric Video Killed The Radio Star.
Because while the distinctive eighties synthpop sound and playful production carries through, there’s a lack of killer hook throughout - with singles from the LP like Beatnik and I Am A Camera feeling their age.
Nevertheless, backed by 10 bonus tracks, fans of classic ‘80s pop will welcome the chance to finally fully explore Adventures In Modern Recording.

Grate Nash

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QUINTESSENTIALLY British, and either loved or hated - I wouldn't be surprised if Kate Nash bathed daily in a vat of Marmite.
And new album My Best Friend Is You does little to bridge this gap.
Now I do quite like her plinky plonky piano pop compositions, and Kiss The Girl and Paris could both trouble the charts.
The problem for me is Nash's vocal - I think my very soul has an allergy to her accent, and her lyrics consist babbling inane, vaguely sarcastic nothingness.
And she's got a potty mouth.
It's no surprise that my favourite track is the rocky I Just Love You More, where all she says is "I just love you more" and "whooo" and occasionally something like "bibble".
Listening to her album, for me, is like having a pretty girlfriend with a deeply grating personality.

Volcanic Ash

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ROCK revolutionaries Ash stuck it to the man last year by announcing they were to release no more albums - only singles.
Right on.
And they didn’t mess around, proceeding to release a single a week for 26 weeks to coincide with their A-Z tour of 26 cities, towns and villages in alphabetical order - Loughborough was L.
But in case you missed the gig and the radical new singles-only model, the group have come up with another revolutionary idea, compiling the first 13 of the A-Z singles in a handy compilation format...
Isn’t that an album...?
Nevermind, surely with only singles on the track listing, A-Z Volume One should be all killer and no filler?
Well, it almost is, with enough tracks like Command and True Love 1980 to bring back sweet memories of the '90s heyday.

Foggin' brilliant

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ALTERNATIVE pop artist Mr Fogg is drifting back to his native UK with a debut album, Moving Parts, from Monday.
And after making his name in Lithuania, Latvia and Iceland, we Brits should be on cloud number nine he's coming home.
Because here he delicate fuses slow and somber singer songwriter fare with sublime electronic production reminiscent of Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly at his most soaring.
Mr Fogg - he's pea-super!

Dirtmusic soil the party

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I DON'T mean for this to be a mudslinging exercise, but with eclectic influences behind Dirtmusic's BKO, only some of it sticks.
A mixture of bluesy guitar licks, traditional Saharan African music, folky classic rock and more, the coming together of band leaders Chris Eckman, Hugo Race and Chris Brokaw and Toureg band Tamikrest has no shortage of ideas.
Some of these fail to inspire - like the plodding All Tomorrow's Parties - but where the balance is right, tracks like Smokin Bowl and Black Gravity are likely to be dusted off again and again.

A new Golden Age for Indiecater

IN A break from their jangle pop tradition, Indiecater Records are set to release Philadelphia-based producer Golden Ages' Tradition LP on Friday.
The work of one man, Francis Tseng, hopefully this epic electronic offering will set a new precedent for the label.
For a taste of the album, click here to grab a free mp3 of Golden Ages.

Plank! leave you beaming

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YOU'D have to be thick as two short ones not to check out Manchester band Plank!.
Lumbering onto the scene with their self-titled Plank! EP, the instrumental group align themselves with post-rock acts like Maybeshewill, Errors and Lite.
And far from wooden, the group's four-track introduction is a swathe of forthright guitar and bass grooves - although the EP does run from their most penetrative track, Phlaa, to their least assertive moment, La Luna.
Nevertheless, if they keep up this form, I advise you to get on board when the full album arrives.

Have a Slash at Download

GUITAR hero Slash is among the latest acts at the cutting edge of Download Festival’s lineup.
The former Guns ‘N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver axeman has a new album out in May featuring Dave Grohl, Lemmy and Wolfmother’s Andrew Stockdale - so expect a star studded line-up for his set.
Sound Advice picks from the 30 bands named this week include The Used, Atreyu, Flyleaf, Breed 77 and Year Long Disaster.
Plus plenty of acts with pedigree have been confirmed - The Damned Things features members of Anthrax, Fall Out Boy and Every Time I Die, Michael Monroe features members of The Wildhearts and Hanoi Rocks, Sweethead is a Queens Of the Stone Age side project, and Tiger Please are managed by Funeral for a Friend’s Ryan Richards.
Also named on the bill are Cancer Bats, Porcupine Tree, No Americana, Senser, Halestorm, Nonpoint, As I Lay Dying, White Wizzard, Zebrahead, Rock Sugar, Holy Grail, Straight Lines, Revoker, Young Guns, Tyketto, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, Enuff Z’Nuff, Panic Cell, Glamour Of The Kill and Sybreed.
A spokesman said: “These 30 acts join headliners AC/DC, Rage Against The Machine and Aerosmith plus many more in what will be not only be the greatest rock festival this year but the ultimate festival experience at the legendary home of rock, Donington Park.”
Of course, you can celebrate the news by listening to this Spotify playlist containing nearly all confirmed Download acts.

Copper load of AC/DC

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STEEL yourself - metal legends AC/DC have mined their extensive back catalogue to extract a collection of rock and roll tracks for forthcoming film Iron Man 2.
This may lead you to think this is a greatest hits exercise - but that's not what it says on the tin.
Because the mercurial talents of the Australian band, who will be bronzing themselves in Castle Donington's summer sun headlining Download festival, are showcased in an alloy of big hits like Highway To Hell and lesser known tracks such as Evil Walks.
And it only proves the group, in their 37-year career, have been ruthlessly consistent throughout.
So unless you already have a large chunk of their back catalogue, then this soundtrack is worth counting out your nickels for - you won't be brassed off, it's pure gold.

Slaraffenland land

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IF YOU liked Efterklang's recent album Magic Chairs - and I know I did - then the sound of Slaraffenland should sit well with you as well.
Because the Danish band exude the same experimental rock folk pop vibe on We're On Your Side - almost literally the same in fact, as the two acts frequently collaborate under the name Slaraffenklang.
Like a non-threatening These New Puritans, Slaraffenland exude warm brass and orchestral goodness over steady plods I'm led to believe are as much improvised as composed.
The result is an ebbing and flowing LP that's well worth siding with.

Harper on

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HARPER Simon, whose name sounds back to front, harrumph, releases his self-titled debut LP this side of the pond on Monday.
And his origins are clear here - even with the biographical track Tennessee, or a mention of his famous father Paul Simon.
Because the album is one part woozy, dreamy orchestral indie perfect for Sunday mornings, while the others are steel strung Americana and country embellishments, which gradually hijack the album as it progresses.
Sadly for me, the results left me more "yeah" than "yee har".

Not A-Paul-ing

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WELLER Weller Weller huh? I'll tell you more.
The Modfather Paul Weller's new album Wake Up The Nation shows the former Jam man isn't resting on his considerable laurels.
With a slightly warped production throughout there's trad Weller on No Tears No Cry, Beatles-esque stomps like Trees, more than a hint of Curtis Mayfield on Aim High, even an instrumental freak-out called Whatever Next.
Weller is clearly determined to progress his sound.
The problem is, with such a jigsaw of ideas here, some places it fits better than others.

Valgeir Sigurdsson is a dream ticket

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INEXORABLE, poignant, wistful, bitter - Valgeir Sigurdsson’s Draumalandid could be the soundtrack to God himself watching mankind melt the polar icecaps and seal its own fate with a tear in his eye.
That, or a nature documentary about narwhals and seals and that.
Because the Bjork-collaborating Icelander’s experimental classical LP has a feel of epic tragedy about it.
Usually producing other’s work, here he mixes the simple classical beauty of Max Richter with the playful edge of Hauschka and a post-rock sense of scale, creating short sharp snapshots of classical music the way the people of Babel built towers.
The result is a breathtaking body of work - Draumalandid, which translates as dreamland, is one to capture the imagination.

Frothing at the mouth for Foamo

CURRENTLY bubbling under in drum and bass circles is the sparkling talent of up-and-comer Foamo, whose single Jookie is out on April 26.
A spokesman for Fat! Records said: "Only his third release proper Foamo - aka Kye Gibbo - now cements himself as one of the leaders of the new guard.
"Having risen through the ranks, a product of the blogosphere, Jookie sees Foamo fulfil his potential and justify the countless comparisons that have been made between him and some of the finest."
And to mark the occasion, a free Warrior One remix of the B-side Centavo is being lathered all over the internet.
Click here to grab yourself a copy and get ready to whip yourself into a frenzy.

Bish bash Dosh

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DOSH’S fifth studio album Tommy is well worth spending your pennies on.
Because the Minneapolis producer, real name Martin Luther King Chavez Dosh, doshes out jazzy beats and seering improvs such as on Call The Kettle that give live post jazz bands like Polar Bear and Jaga Jazzist a run for their money.
As well as this there’s a cache of fuzzy freeform electronica, like the frenetic Yer Face, and occassionally, cooler alt folk such as Nevermet.

Mambo Loco motion

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ANALOG Africa has taken a trip across the pond for it's latest release, Mambo Loco.
And although it may be more Analog South America, they'd have been mad to ignore the awesome accordion don Anibal VelasQuez and his work with Su Conjunto.
Colombian VelasQuez squeezes the funkiest sound I have ever heard emitted from a pair of bellows on these rare recordings from the 1970s, and fuses it with Colombian and Cuban carnival rhythms to create a style of his own, titled guaracha.
Amazingly, despite producing more than 300 LPs over the years, this sound has barely been heard outside of the Caribbean coast of South America - you'd be loco not to mambo down to your record store and sample it now you have the chance.

A taste of the future from Flashbacks

THE Lodger are looking to set up residence in your stereo come April 26, with the release of a new album.
And to mark their third LP, Flashbacks, the indie rock group are offering a free mp3 of album opener The Back Of My Mind.
Click here to download a copy.

Bad Fortune

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FRENCH pop rock band Fortune have had the good luck to rise in the wake of compatriots Phoenix.
But unless you're a fan looking for your next Phoenix gix, your luck's out - as unfortunately sat next to the critic-slaying Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Staring At The Ice Melt just leaves the listener cold.
The tracks are plodding, the synths are dated, the Gallic accents are grating - listening to Staring At The Ice Melt is like watching paint dry.

ASBO 'valva

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QUICK, somebody fetch a magistrate - Castrovalva need an ASBO.
Their largely instrumental self titled debut Castrovalva was enough of an assault on the senses, all thunderous math rock played in a surly punk style.
And for We Are A Unit, the group have added vocals into the mix - volatile, sweary, shouty, aggressive, insane vocals.
Some of the tracks from their impressive introduction such as We Don't Go To Ravenholm and Triceratops have had a wordy makeover, while the new compositions expand on these, with touches of hip hop and electronica in places.
One listen is enough to bring down a neighbourhood.

Wave Pictures EP announced

INDIE darlings The Wave Pictures have a new EP coming out.
The Wymewold group will release the Sweetheart EP on June 7 on Moshi Moshi records.
The group will mark the release with a headline show at Bush Hall in London on June 16.

Lali Puna

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RIGHT, you miserable lot, I know I told you to be all sad and paranoid yesterday with Bear In Heaven, but it's time to snap out of it.
This Easter, resurrect yourself with the lovely downbeat electronica of Lali Puna's Our Inventions.
The German group's sound on their fourth LP, their first since 2004, is easy like a sunday morning, with subtle beats underpinning sublime vocals from singer Valerie Trebeljahr.
It's the perfect soundtrack to a Happy Easter!

Bear In Heavenly

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BROOKLYN'S Bear In Heaven see their second album Beast Rest Forth Mouth released in the UK on Monday - and it'll be a sad occasion.
Not because it's no good - quite the opposite.
It's because the album is a slowly swirling mix of downbeat electronic arrangements, moody, morose, warped vocals and oppressive, paranoid drumming, creating a dark vibe flowing through from track to track, wrapping around the listener like a shroud.
It's like Portishead meets the Pet Shops Boys, and it's well worth a listen, so wallow away until you feel grizzly.

Avett or leave it

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A LOT of comparisons have been drawn between The Avett Brothers and Kings Of Leon, so I was a little taken aback when I popped the I And Love And You on.
Sure, they're both hirsute southern American family-based groups, but there the similarities end.
Where the Followills are all pulsating groins and fist fights, pretenders to the throne The Avett Brothers are all tinkling pianos and soulful country rock tinged with gospel.
And with double figures of LPs and EPs behind them and Rick Rubin at the helm, I And Love And You is obviously going to be accomplished, and although never twee it's all very lovely and well worth a few spins.
But for me, it's not nearly sexy enough or on fire enough for me.

Jonsi no April fool

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ALTHOUGH Iceland's Jonsi, full name Jonsi Birgisson, mixes post-rock with classical music, two of the most notoriously long-winded genres around, his debut Go is no wandering self-indulgence.
Instead the album from the Sigur Ros frontman proves he's no April fool - as he manages to fuse the awesome beauty of both genres in pop song nugget form, making it easy to digest.
Testement to this accessibility is the fact that Go is sung in English rather than Icelandic.
Lead single Go Do may just be the most insidiously haunting tracks to hit the radio this year, while elsewhere the likes of both stripped down Tornado and built up Hengilas both mix this directness with achingly beautiful production - all capped off by Jonsi's familiar vocals, which have already led Sigur Ros to international acclaim.
In short, Go, buy it.

April Fool's music

HEY stoopid, looking for some music to listen to, and don't want to think to hard about it?
You'd be a moron not to have a listen to my idiot's guide to April Fools music, as a Spotify playlist.
Click here to listen, and there's a free iPhone for every listener.