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I Will Build A Road – Martin Carr

And breeeeeeeeathe.

Yikes. This is great songwriting. Sometimes, you just need to really relax in the summer and Martin Carr more than delivers. These two songs were written for his daughter (collective aw) and the perfect blend of beauty balanced by a peaceful quiet. Listen, relax and enjoy the first song of his EP, Sailor after the jump. Links below:

A Career Retropspective Of This Katy Perry Thing

I made a collage. And I liked it. Seriously, I love a collage.

I’m leaving on vacation tomorrow! I’ll be back the end of July and then for three weeks in August. I’m away but never truly gone (seriously, I have posts lined up). Anyway, today is also a good day because a) it’s Thursday! and b) it’s (one of) our artists of 2011’s film premiere. Katy Perry’s Part of Me opens today and I’m heading to learn about the path to super stardom with my sister. I’m super pumped which, given some of these descriptions, isn’t surprising. Quite simply, I think Perry’s one of the most intelligent, inspiring and unique singer-songwriters of our generation. Let’s check out some of these tunes, shall we?

Music That Motivates

Poker Face: These guys will get you through

Man, I wish I had written this article before exams. Oftentimes, when writing reviews of music, it’s easy to forget the power of motivation that music can provide. A good song can psyche you up and make you feel like the Avatar/Superman/Neil Patrick Harris. A great reminder of this was this playlist. It’s specifically tailored for a game of poker (something that takes you through various stages of a mental workout) but lends itself to any rigorous activity, be that an essay/saving the world/cooking dinner (the last is much the hardest one here, for me). Although it’s a hip hop playlist (not a type of music that normally fills my iPod), it was an awesome mix to keep me motivated. The playlist is split into three parts – a laid back start, a mid-section to stay concentrated and an aggressive finish – and I’ve picked highlights from each. Enjoy:

Let It Be (feat. Veela) – Blackmill

Ah, nothing like a night in the freezing cold English countryside to help you forget about your city problems. Having (not really) slept on the floor of a dusty old barn, the 2 hour car journey home needed music that would be enjoyable for bleary-eyed teenagers. Fortunately, Blackmill was there to save the day.

Pyramid Lake – Hiatus

Recently, I have been missing this man’s music in my life. I absolutely loved his Ghost Notes EP. Hiatus has a knack for blending heart-wrenching melodies with softly profound backings that when combined form something truly incredible. I urge you to listen to his latest offering after the jump.

Thirteen – Big Star

(Big)Starry-Eyd

The idea of a Summer Romance is nice, isn’t it? You and a girl spend the most amazing week or so together, in some far off place, and it’s just you two, in this little spot of paradise. Need a song to accompany your wooing techniques? You do? Sorted, see below (my wooing techniques not included).

En Automne – Kasar

Soothing! Dramatic! Too much exclamation for a Monday.

This is a ‘a piano driven Electronica/Pop’ record. I know. I know it’s Monday and you probably just want to curl up into a ball, cover yourself with a blanket, listen to smooth jazz and drink tea. But sometimes, you just have to push the envelope. Sometimes. This is actually pretty neat, and in the press package, I was told ‘the brother (and I assume this is Kasar’s brother) shares a label with Charlie Chaplains son!’ Well, if we want to play that game, I go to stay in the same village in Ireland where Charlie Chaplain stayed and have family photos with his relatives. This is a slightly boring, non-inclusive game so let’s just take a listen to the song: 

I wouldn’t normally post something like this (in part, because this is pretty unique) but it’s delightful. That it’s so piano-driven is wonderful; it’s jaunty, unexpected but also reassuringly persistent. Kasar’s record is called, The Piano Has Been Smoking and you can buy it now. There seem to be a lot of great tracks on that album and if you’ve enjoyed En Automne, I’d buy the lot of them. Because, let’s face it, how many other artists are there similar to Kasar? Thought so.  

Streets In The Sky – The Enemy

The Enemy, after one great album (We’ll Live and Die in These Towns) and one really not so great (Music for the People) are back for the third time after four years. Find out if they rediscovered their magic after the jump.

Some Nights (Now With Added Video)

N-Dawg (Nate)

Howdy co-mates in (blog) exile! A while back, I posted about fun.’s Some Nights and noted that it was an  ‘obvious follow-up from We Are Young.’ Well. I was right. They just released the video and it’s one of the best music videos that I’ve seen in the last few years. It’s powerful, urgent and urgently sincere. It merges war with an delicate love story, combined with military bombast and a few beautiful conceits (bath-time reading, hand running along fences). Look, you just have to watch this thing:

Man, I can’t quite express how much I love this song (and album).It’s here that I also note how much of an unremitting fan I’ve recently become of fun., Nate, Andrew and Jack. They’re both inspirational and artistically gifted; what’s more, they’re both of those things while staying hugely grounded. That’s what I gather from the 56 video interviews I’ve watched of them. Before I became so well-versed in their music, I noted that there were ‘overtones of Bohemian Rhapsody’ mixed in there. Turns out they’re huge Queen fans. So there you go. I’m both creepy and prophetic. A true Cassandra.