Careful what you wish for, because overdue albums can fail you!

After being possessed by Beck’s ‘I Just Started Hating Some People Today’ 7” single since God knows when, I’ve listened to little else until recently, when I decided to re-join reality and to see what everyone was up to.  THANK GOD I DID!!!  A multitude of once-forthcoming releases had snuck under my radar and so here I am, sharing my delight with y’all, my little yet loyal and undeniably bodacious readership! 

FOLKS- I see Cathedrals: Okay, so they sound good live (supporting Noel Gallagher) and their long promised album has finally surfaced, but was it worth the wait? I must admit it's a bit of a slow burner, before I swiftly move on into more marvelous territory.  

I Like Trains- The Shallows:  his one snuck up on me from a good long distance, as the last time I heard of ILT was back in 2007 when their brilliant ‘Elegies to Lessons Learnt’ album, engaging live set blew me away, just as their personable selves did when I interviewed them.  Anyhoo, their music has diversified since then and despite my disbelief, they seem to have bettered themselves.  You can check out the video for the latest single ‘Beacons’ here.

In anticipation of his Dept. of Disappearance album, Jason Lytle’s ’Yankee Dirtbag Australian Tour 2012’ EP has had me stuck on repeat once more and being the crème de la crème of my latest musical samplings, you can perhaps forgive me for including the video for his latest single ‘Your Final Setting Sun’.  As for the EP and its acoustic/comedic chatter crammed self, well, it makes for some good alternative listening whenever you find yourself all Grandaddyed out!   

KYTE- Love to be Lost is as warming and epic as anything they’ve ever put out, so yes its kickass!  KYTE actually supported and upstaged the aforementioned ILT and although they can be easily regarded as an English Sigur Ros cover band (that’s a good thing, right?), there’s so much more to their sound and for that I love ‘em!     

Okay, there’s only so much Italian opera one can stomach it’s true, but it’s a whole new story of tolerance with Mike at the helm.  Mike Patton (and Ictus Ensemble) that is, for the Luciano Berio tribute album Laborintus II.  Anyone and everyone I’ve tried to share this with lasts for about 12 seconds before they get that look on their face, the one that says WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?!! Still, I do like to enjoy something different now and then.  It’ll keep me going ‘til his ‘The Place beyond the Pines’ soundtrack get released.

Sea Wolf is back with his ‘Old World Romance’ album... YAY!!!   I’ve been smitten ever since I heard his ‘Get to the River’ album  and although the songs don’t seem as strong or sentiment driven, the levels of quality and confidence it instils is still every bit as magical.  Hear it here or download the lead track ‘Old Friend’.

Last but not least is ‘Other Worlds’ by Taken by Trees, the ex-Concretes lead vocalist Victoria Bergsman and her mild musings, which this time have taken a dub-fuelled Hawaiian twist, turning the whole album into some kind of otherworldly experience that soothes and sedates.  Yes, a little bit like all her stuff you might say, but this is notably different and like VB, well worth checking out!  Watch ‘Dreams’ here to get an idea of just what she got up to whilst in Hawaii... and welcome back hunny, I have missed you sorely!