Get your ears round some free music with new albums available to preview in full. Generally indie alternative music.
February 2012 releases
Peter Broderick 'http://www.itstartshear.com' (Bella Union, 2012)
Gorgeous, flowing streams of guitar and piano, beautifully arranged and recorded.
November 2011 releases
Listening Post - Kate Bush '50 Words For Snow' (Fish People, 2011)
Continues where 'Aerial' left off, drifting even further into abstract territory.
Listening Post - Korallreven 'An Album By Korallreven' (Acephale, 2011)
A gorgeous, florid dreampop explosion from Korallreven who have released some lovely dubbed-up, electronic indie pop singles over the two years.
September 2011 releases
Listening Post - Esmerine 'La Lechuza' (Constellation, 2011)
A beautifully poised record comprising strings, piano, harp and a host of elegant arrangements.
Laura Marling 'A Creature I Don't Know' (Virgin, 2011)
Jazzier textures and more diverse musical backing on prodigious modern folk-singer's third album.
July 2011 releases
Listening Post - Little Dragon 'Ritual Union' (Peacefrog, 2011)
Little Dragon's third album delivers a similar combination of organic and icy, inorganic textures to SBTRKT's debut on which vocalist Yukimi Nagano also features.
The Horrors 'Skying' (XL, 2011)
The Horrors' new album in full. More dilettante Indie music with Goth and Psychedelic touches.
June 2011 releases
'SBTRKT's debut album (Young Turks, 2011)
Shaping up to be one of my favourites of the year. Spectacular shifts in mood, rhythm and melody. Great stuff.
Bon Iver 'Bon Iver' (4AD/Jagjaguwar, 2011)
Subtle progression in terms of instrumentation, adding new flavours to the mix of 'For Emma, Forever Ago' which was such a startling album. Works for me. Out on June 20th (UK)
Arctic Monkeys 'Suck It And See' (Domino, 2011)
Crisp and less lumpy in its rocking-out than the previous album. Alex Turner's twisty wordsmithery is given a chance to shine and it's a songs like 'Black Treacle' show a return to indie roots.
May 2011 releases
Death Cab For Cutie 'Codes And Keys' (Atlantic, 2011)
More electronic elements in the traditional minor key indie/post sound.
Three Trapped Tigers 'Route One Or Die' (Blood And Biscuits, 2011)
Frantic hybrid of electronica and band-based math-rock. Long-awaited debut after a sequence of essential EPs.
Wild Beasts 'Smother' (Domino, 2011)
Cumbrian aesthetes really hitting their stride now with a concoction is a worthy successor to Kate Bush's 'Hounds Of Love', Talk Talk's 'Spirit Of Eden' and The Associates' 'Party Fears Too' but is very much their own thing.
Fleet Foxes 'Helplessness Blues' (Bella Union/Sub Pop, 2011)
Wonderful expansion of the sound of their debut album, cutting loose with a more progressive, multi-section approach that is typified by the title track and some free jazz touches on 'The Shrine/An Argument'.
Low 'C'mon' (Sub Pop, 2011)
Another album from Low, another hushed small ensemble marriage of vocals, guitar bass and stand-up drums. The same ingredients as always but, for my money, a return to form after 'Drums And Guns' saw them try and expand their sonic palette with little return.
April 2011 releases
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart 'Belong' (Slumberland/Fortuna Pop, 2011)
TPOBPAH move forward a couple of years from Sarah pop to take in the overdriven, Alan Moulder-produced Creation sound of the late 80s/early 90s. Easy to be cynical but it's well-executed indie pop and catchy as fuck.
