Today's Swell Tune: I Don't Mind

Artist: Ted Zed

From: Somerset, England

Sound: See the attached picture? It sounds like that: alt pop/ rock/ synth/ trance (seriously, there's a lot in here)

Website: tedzedofficial.com

Social: facebook, twitter, YouTube

Today's Swell Tune: Riptide

Artist: Vance Joy

Album: God Loves You When You're Dancing

From: Melbourne, Australia

Sound: Bon Iver meets Mumford & Sons, but Mumford & Sons has a ukelele instead of a banjo and does not suck; folk pop 

Website: vancejoy.com

Social: facebook

Monday Morning Cover: VCR

The Antlers

The Original

The xx

Saturday Night Remix: Winter Is All Over You

into:

Today's Swell Tune: Closer

• Band: Chic Gamine
• Album: Closer 
• From: Winnipeg, Manitoba/ Montreal, Quebec Canada
• Sound: Somewhere, Berry Gordy is getting a boner; soul, pop, R&B.
• Website: chicgamine.com
• Social: facebook, twitter, YouTube
• Buy It: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/chicgamine3

Today's Swell Tune: Bad Intentions

Bad Intentions (Single Mix) - Shona Foster

• Artist: Shona Foster
• Album: The Moon and You
• From: Brighton, England
• Sound: Like the Tori Amos of 1992 took a time machine to 1942 to do a number at a nightclub ; piano pop
• Website: shonafoster.com
• Bandcamp: shonafoster.bandcamp.com
• Social: facebook, twitter

Today's Swell Tune: The Great Fire

• Band: Future Islands
• Album: On the Water
• From: Baltimore, Maryland, United States
• Sound: I don't believe I've ever used the word 'breathtaking' in a sentence before ; new wave, synthpop.
• Website: future-islands
• Social: facebook, twitter, tumblr, myspace

I'm Sorry I Was Gone; Allow Me to Give You a Boner

There are a multitude of reasons that someone might take a break from writing their amateur, low-to-medium traffic music blog. Some are good, some less so, but none of them are laziness.


Initially, mine was a few of life's shittiest scenarios occurring in very rapid succession. Sort of a one-two(-three) combination that k.o.'d me, if only temporarily. For at least a little while it left me utterly uninspired to pay attention to anything as simple and pleasant as an amateur, low-to-medium-traffic music blog. These things do happen.


Soon afterward, it became a more typical case of everything that is adult in life consuming my waking hours and using up the best of my mental faculties.  For at least a little while it left me utterly unable to donate any attention to something as recreational and unpaid as an amateur, low-to-medium-traffic music blog. These things happen, too.


Finally, I found myself caught up in some folly with no function beyond its bizarre culmination in a lost weekend in Montreal. But, for at least a little while, it did lure my attention from anything as personal and enjoyable as an amateur low-to-medium-traffic music blog. For the record, it's only this last one I'm sorry for.


These last three weeks, however, my distractions have been more of the "putting-food*-in-my-stomach-and-a-roof-over-my-head" variety.  You see, as an indirect result of all of the above, and in my typical "because-I-suddenly-thought-of-it" fashion, I've moved from Moscow to Toronto and have had to acclimatize myself.  The natives are very friendly and rarely bite, and my new flat is situated amid lots of good venues in the centre of Canada's largest city. And this should be nothing but beneficial to any amateur, low-to-medium-traffic music blog. You can expect more about live shows, better access to musicians, and photos not culled from flickr. Other than that, I hope to get everything back to normal around here. 


All the e-mails and messages regarding my absence were greatly appreciated. Thanks for sticking around. I owe you one.  


And in that vein, I think you should watch Slow from Twin Shadow. It's not new in the slightest, but I saw him live a couple weeks ago and he had so much raw charisma that pretty much everyone in the joint had a hard on. At least musically speaking. So this should make things up, a bit:

*alcohol and other ingestible substances of questionable moral integrity.

Today's Swell Tune: WTF (Or How I Learned I'd Wasted My Life

The Loves - WTF (Or How I Realised I'd Wasted My Life)

• Band: The Loves (defunct as of this year)
• Album: ...Love You
• From: Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
• Sound: Hunky Dory era Bowie. with a splash of Abbey Road. But cut with Sprite; 60's style pop-rock

Today's Swell Tune: Crystal Sounds

Crystal Sounds by ThirteenSenses

• Band: Thirteen Senses
• Album: Crystal Sounds
• From: Penzance, Cornwall, England
• Sound: This should motivate you to do that epic moment you've been putting off; instrumental pop-rock,
• Website: thirteensenses.com
• Social: facebook, myspace, twitter

Today's Swell Tune: Winter on the Weekend

Julia Stone - Winter On The Weekend

• Artist: Julia Stone
• Album: The Memory Machine
• From: Sydney, Australia
• Sound: Joanna Newsom on Quaaludes. Also, the track's artwork warns: “This film contains scenes which are shocking. No one should be afraid though as most things in life are shocking and strange, and it is a good way to grow.” There's that; folk, piano pop
• Website: angusandjuliastone.com
• Social: facebook, myspace, twitter

Saturday Night Remix: Take It Easy

Surfer Blood - Take It Easy

into:

Surfer Blood - Take It Easy (RAC Maury Mix) by RAC

Today's Swell Tune: Baby You

A B & The Sea - Baby You 

• Band: A B & The Sea
• Album: Run Run Run
• From: San Francisco, California, United States
• Sound: If the Wilson brothers were hipsters. Brian and Dennis, I mean. Not Luke and Owen.; indie surf pop
• Website: abandthesea.net
• Social: facebook, myspace, tumblr, twitter

Today's Swell Tune: Disco Phantom

Disco Phantom (We Are She) by Mr. Shuffleupagus

• Band: We Are She
• Album: You're Too Drunk to Be Sweet
• From: Härnösand, Sweden
• Sound: One part Muse, two parts rock musical; pop-rock
• Website: http://www.weareshe.se/
• Social: facebook; myspace

Today's Swell Tune: Old Flames

Jeremy Lee Given - Old Flames by Jeremy Lee Given

• Artist: Jeremy Lee Given
• Album: Old Flames (available free on bandcamp)
• From: Knoxville, Tennessee United States
• Sound: A lo-fi Band of Horses that doesn't annoy me; indie pop/rock
• Website: http://jeremyleegiven.tumblr.com/
• Social: facebook

Monday Morning Cover: Moving Right Along

Garden on a Trampoline

Moving Right Along (G.O.A.T.) by Mr. Shuffleupagus

The Original:

The Muppets

Today's Swell Tune: Silverlake

Azure Ray (feat. Sparklehorse): "Silverlake" by seaofdoubt

• Band: Azure Ray (feat. Sparklehorse)
• From: Birmingham, Alabama, United States
• Sounds: Like a Monet; dream pop
• Website:http://www.azureraymusic.com/
• Social: facebook, myspace, twitter
• Download Free: from Saddle Creek

Today's Swell Tune: Dust It Off

The Do - Dust It Off by im'aprovidergirl

• Band: The Dø
• Album: Dust It Off (EP); Both Ways Open Jaws (out March 7)
• From: Helsinki, Finland; Paris, France
• Sound: Goosebumpy; indie pop
• Website: http://thedo.info/
• Social: facebook; myspace
• Download Free: here

The New Ex-Libras Video Proves that I Should Turn my Skills to Solving Crime. Musical Crime.

If a song is good--really, truly good--it sets you up at first listen with an image or feeling that takes it beyond "tune" and into the realm of "experience". From dying and coming back to life, to playing in a jug band on your grandpappy's porch, anything will do, so long as it takes you somewhere. And if that idea is strong enough, it will dominate every listen until with each play you have to close your eyes, zone out, and go to whatever place it is that song has made for itself in your head.


Recently, I got that feeling with Ex-Libra's Teenage Eyes. I made it my song of the day, noting that it was all but made for "the final credits of a film that did not end happily". 


Then the band contacted me to tell me that I am psychic.  More or less, anyway. They hooked me up with the video, a lush and lovely Edward Scissorhands-meets-Black Swan picture show, perfectly suited to the dark, tinkering melody.  I'm not going to tell you how it ends but...well I did mention that psychic thing:

Lovely.

If you liked it, The Ex-Libras can be found on their website, facebook, myspace, blog, or twitter for all your stalking needs.

And if you need me and my obviously impressive extrasensory abilities, you know where to reach me. 

Today's Swell Tune: The Magic

• Artist: Joan as Police Woman
• Album: The Deep Field
• From: New York City, United States
• Sound: Like Stevie Wonder circa 1973 is back. And he's a white lady; R&B-flavoured indie pop/rock
• Website: http://www.joanaspolicewoman.com/
• Contact: facebook
• Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZPqVig-ggMw
• Download Free: ↓↓↓