Continue reading »]]>

Based in the Western suburbs of Paris, Julie Hanse is a (very) young singer songwriter whose heartfelt compositions and powerful voice belie her age. Ever since she was fourteen, she has been writing songs and posting them on YouTube and in the past year or so she has performed at many festivals, even sharing stage with Canadian songstress Julie Doiron and Lithuanian folk sensation Alina Orlova.

Equally influenced by Mumford & Sons, Cat Power and Johnny Cash, Julie feels most at home on a stage with her guitar. With confidence and maturity well beyond her years, she electrifies the audience and delivers raw emotions that resonate within each and every listener.

Julie Hanse – Wait (Acoustic Version)

Follow Julie on Facebook or MySpace. Stream her music on SoundCloud.

Continue reading »]]>

Ewert And The Two Dragons is a folk-rock quartet from Tallin, Estonia. The line-up consists of vocalist Ewert Sundja, guitarist Erki Pärnoja, drummer Kristjan Kallas and Ivo Etti on bass, guitar and other instruments. Their debut album The Hills Behind The Hills was released in autumn 2009 and since then they have taken the Baltics by storm.

After playing alongside Muse and Scissor Sisters at the biggest Baltic music festival Positivus in 2010, Ewert & The Two Dragons released their sophomore album Good Man Down in April 2011 to great reviews. With this new effort, the band is taking huge steps towards bringing their organic, folksy sound to a much wider audience in Europe and (why not?) the world…

Ewert & The Two Dragons – (In The End) There’s Only Love

Find Ewert & The Two Dragons on MySpace or Facebook and stream their music on SoundCloud. Buy Good Man Down on Gogoyoko or 

Continue reading »]]>

Still only in his early 20s, Matt Corby has managed to carved a unique path for someone that started his career aged 16 on a reality TV talent show. In 2009, he independently released his debut EP Song For…, followed by the Transition To Colour EP in late 2010. Often compared to legendary artists such as Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley, Matt’s captivating songs continue to deliver a uniqueness and maturity well beyond his years while his live performances have become renowned for bringing large audiences to a complete stand still.

Matt Corby – My False

Matt Corby’s latest EP, Into The Flame, was recorded at legendary Studio 301 in Sydney with Tim Carr at the helm (Ernest Ellis, Jonathan Boulet). The first single, “Brother”, is arguably Corby’s most assured work to date, showcasing a fresh injection of cascading vocals and bluesy melodies bound together with his unique style of melodic folk.

For updated tour schedule, news and downloads, go to Matt Corby’s official site or Facebook. Buy the music on Corby’s online store or on

Continue reading »]]>

Californian indie folk outift Family of the Year have a few new sun-soaked, toe-tapping jams available for your listening pleasure. Their newest release, St. Croix EP, is out since September and you can stream it in its entirety on SoundCloud.

Family of the Year – St. Croix

Its vibrant title track hints at what’s to come in the band’s forthcoming full-length Diversity, which is due in early 2012. Enthralling drums, swaths of atmospheric synths, Fleetwood Mac-style guitars are all part of the mix, in good Family of the Year fashion…

As a bonus, grab this tribal remix by French duo Dresscode of Family of the Year’s 2010 single “Psyche or Like Scope”.

Family of the Year – Psyche Or Like Scope (Dresscode Remix)

Become part of the Family of the Year circle on MySpace or visit the band’s website. You can buy their music on

Continue reading »]]>

Julia Stone, one half of the sibling duo, Angus & Julia Stone, recorded her debut solo album The Memory Machine in New York in late 2008 but, with the sweeping success of A&J’s album Down The Way and subsequent world tour, she had to wait for a couple of years before releasing it. Described as haunting and mellow, The Memory Machine is not a far cry from the kind of songs Julia writes with Angus, but it does have darker undertones. A deep sense of longing pervades this ten-track collection of hushed folky songs, which are lit up by the occasional ray of hope.

Julia Stone – This Love

The artwork for the album is beautiful with old Hollywood style film posters painted for each of the songs that appears on the record. See all the pictures here.

Check out Julia’s Facebook or MySpace for more info. Buy the CD here or download from

Continue reading »]]>

Hailing from the city of Rennes, indie/folk outfit Manceau is something of a hybrid, with one foot in France and one foot in the UK, musically that is… The band’s four members have always been greatly influenced by all the music that came from across the Channel and in fact they describe themselves as big fans of all Brit Pop from the early days to now.

After a very promising debut EP, On a Mellow Day (self-released in December 2010 via BandCamp), and countless gigs and festival appearances, Manceau are ready to introduce their new single “Full Time Job”, a delicious slice of summery folk-pop with simple yet polished arrangements.

Manceau – Full Time Job

Often compared to fellow countrymen Phoenix, these four multi-instrumentalists share the same obsession with good pop music and the same desire to deliver emotions and feelings through their instantly catchy songs. Manceau are currently working on their debut full-length Life Traffic Jam, produced by Xavier Boyer and Pedro Resende (of Tahiti 80 fame) and due for release in Spring 2012. If you really can’t wait, here is an older track, taken off their debut EP…

Follow Manceau on Facebook or check out their official blog. Download “Full Time Job” for free on BandCamp.

Continue reading »]]> Meet François Marry, a multi-talented songwriter, musician and graphic artist, hailing from the small French city of Saintes, but based in Bristol since 2003. With his band Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains, the 26-year-old musician has spent the past seven years touring across Europe with the likes of Electrelane or Camera Obscura. An open collective, F&TAM has become a four-piece band over the years. Beside François who gives the band its name and soul, Amaury Ranger plays percussions, Glasgow-born Gerard Black is on bass and Pierre aka Petit Fantôme handles keyboards.

Now signed to Domino Recordings, Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains are ready to spread their wings over indie pop’s vast international landscape. The first single off their new album is called “Piscine” and it defies all genre definitions. Listen below…

The band’s fourth album E Volo Love is out in France since October 3 and will be released in the rest of the world on January 23. To ease the wait, Domino just released four remixes of “Piscine” by Jensen Sportag, Odei, Etienne Jaumet and Outer Limits.

Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains – Piscine (Jensen Sportag Remix)

As a bonus, here is an older track by Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains…

Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains – Be Water (Je suis de l’eau)

Find F&TAM on MySpace or check out the band’s official site for more info and tour dates. Buy the music on

Continue reading »]]> Alexander is the solo project of LA-born singer-songwriter Alex Ebert, better known as lead singer of Ima Robot and Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros. His self-titled solo debut was released last March on via Community Music (and Rough Trade in Europe).

The album includes 10 brand new songs that Alexander wrote and composed entirely himself. During breaks from touring with the Zeroes over the past year, Alexander began building and recording the pieces that would become the songs for this album alone in his bedroom. The first single off the album, “Truth”, is a good example of the album’s dark folky sound. Sample the song below and download it for free (as well as a remix by White Arrows) on Ebert’s official site.

Alexander – Truth (Feat. The RZA )

Check out the video directed by Tao Ruspoli on Vimeo and find out more about Alex Ebert’s music on MySpace. Buy the album on

Continue reading »]]> Norwegian songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Ane Brun recently released It All Starts With One, her first studio album in over three years. This record follows up on her highly praised 2008 album Changing of the Seasons and, while it generally moves in the same emotionally-charged territory, it shows a clear evolution for the artist.

Produced by her Tobias Fröberg, It All Starts With One showcases a fuller, more orchestral sound, as well as some of the most immediate melodies in Brun’s career. Tobias Fröberg’s touch is to be credited for many of the more noticeable changes in arrangements: he hired two drummers, Per Eklund and Ola Hultgren, to play together on most of the album’s songs, and he put Martin Hederos on keys. The interaction between them is perfect and the strings add depth to the mix, reinforcing the emotions expressed by Ane’s exceptional vocals.

The album also features the talents of a few guest artists such as Swedish folk sisters First Aid Kit, who provide vocals on first single “Do You Rember”, José González, who adds his magic touch to the song “Worship”, or Peter Morén (from Peter, Björn and John) on bass.

To celebrate the release of Ane Brun’s new album, here is a little something for fans. Check out a rare remix of the song “To Let Myself Go” which appeared on Changing of the Seasons…

Ane Brun – To Let Myself Go (Malkyl Remix)

To find out more about Ane Brun, watch some videos and check out her tour dates, you can visit the official site or MySpace. Note that Brun’s new album is out since September 9th via Balloon Ranger and it can be purchased on

Continue reading »]]>

Started in Los Angeles in 2004, Warpaint is an all-girl indie rock quartet that has managed to go through many line-up changes, including actress Shannyn Sossamon and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, without ever losing their otherworldly and mystical sound. Warpaint weave intricate guitar lines, hypnotic vocals and driving post punk rhythms into sprawling songs that skirt the line between psychedelia and intimacy.

Warpaint – Billie Holiday

In early 2009, their self-released debut EP Exquisite Corpse soared straight to #1 on legendary Los Angeles Amoeba Records’ local artists chart. By September 2009, Manimal Vinyl reissued it on CD and vinyl, complete with a new bonus track, “Krimson”. Mixed by John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers), the EP successfully captured the band’s sonic textures and playful dynamism.

Warpaint – Shadows (Neon Lights Remix)

Warpaint – Undertow (Mud Slow House Edit)

With a buzz already in the air, Warpaint began to get more and more attention in the US and abroad and they eventually got signed on Rough Trade, who released their long-awaited debut full-length album The Fool in October 2010. Recorded in LA, The Fool was produced by Tom Biller (Beck, Karen O), with further mixes from Andrew Weatherall (New Order, Primal Scream, Bjork) and Adam Samuels (John Frusciante, Daniel Lanois).

Warpaint has toured incessantly over the last couple of years, sharing the stage with the likes of The xx, Band of Horses, Yeasayer, Akron/Family, Javelin, and The Walkmen.

Check out Warpaint’s official site for more info or show them some MySpace love.