2007…pretty good year for music so far

Thank goodness -I’m now off school for two and a half weeks. I may even be feeling human at the end of it all.

I know I often post covers on a Friday, but I thought today I would post a handful of tracks that I’ve really been enjoying this year. Some of them -Gasp! Shock! Horror! were hits. I’ve posted about Penny Century, Emma Pollock and Katie Sutherland a lot this year, and flagged up how much I’ve enjoyed Bat For Lashes and Wiley, but I thought I would highlight some other stuff I’ve loved.

Kate Nash -‘Foundations.’ mp3

King Creosote -‘Leslie.’ mp3

Tiny Dancers -‘I Will Wait For You.’ mp3

Calvin Harris -‘Acceptable in the 80s.’ mp3

Thrushes -‘Aidan Quinn.’ mp3

Justice -‘D.A.N.C.E.’ mp3

Hot Chip -‘My Piano.’ mp3

Von Sudenfed -‘Fledermaus Can’t Get It.’ mp3

Timbaland -‘Give It To Me.’ mp3

Battles -‘Atlas.’ mp3

If you like the tracks, support the artists involved, and leave feedback.

It’s going to be tough deciding my Top 50 tracks this year…

The Thrushes: Songs to blow your mind

OK, I’m going to throw caution to the winds, risk laughter and ridicule (hey, I teach teenagers, I’m used to it), and just tell you: you have to hear the Thrushes. On the basis of the three tracks posted on their website, and which I have posted here, this could be one of the greatest and biggest bands you will hear this year.

What is it like to listen to the Thrushes? To fall in love at first hearing and to have to go back and play them again immediately. To feel that the Jesus and Mary Chain, and the best shoegazing records you ever heard -Ride’s Nowehere, My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, Lush’s Spooky, brought together with the wonder of Mogwai’s ‘Mogwai Fear Satan’ in the space of four minute songs. Not only is this a band to fall in love to, they’re a band to fall in love with. To rave about, and not care if people sneer at you for it. They would have been granted a Peel session if only he were still alive.

I can’t really say much more. But go and investigate. Their album Sun Come Undone is out in the US, available through iTunes and getting a proper European release on June 11. Their official website is here and their mySpace is here. For another post about the band, visit Colin’s post on them at And Before The First Kiss.

Thrushes-‘Aidan Quinn.’ mp3

Thrushes-‘Heartbeats.’ mp3

Thrushes-‘Wake Up.’ mp3