Things You May Not Know About Some Laneway Artists: – The genius, Wayne Coin (Flaming Lips) made Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti  a video for their song Round and Round (Pitchfork Song Of The Year 2010).

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti’s Before Today is one of the best releases of 2010 in my book. If you’re interested in Phil Spector, Arthur Lee, Love…. yes Flaming Lips even .. you should check it out!
Out now on 4AD / Rhythmethod in NZ on CD and LP.

Iron and Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean – out now on 4AD / Rhythmethod – CD & LP!

“A surprising and majestic triumph.”

NME (9/10)

“As much funk and pop as it is folk, and excellent.”
Uncut (4/5 – Album of the Month)

“Like Fleetwood Mac in their pomp… As ever, a real treat for your ears.”
Q (4/5)

“There is no inclination that doesn’t come locked to its contradictory impulse, but between these poles, most things are possible.”
The Independent (Album of the Week – 5/5)

“It’s as beautiful, tragic or, well, American as anything Beam has made thus far. Wonderful.”
The Fly (4/5)

“Suggests a brilliant and unpredictable future from an artist who, unbelievably, appears to be only just getting started.”
Drowned In Sound (8/10)

“Sam Beam has taken a bold leap forward on Kiss Each Other Clean.”
The Times (4/5)

Listen to a stream of the album right here: -

TVNZ Breakfast Entertainment reporter Joanna Hunkin hits the nail on the head reviewing Adele’s new album ’21′. Rolling In The Deep’ was number 1 on the iTunes chart last week – what bloody great taste we have in NZ!

You can see what Joanna had to say here: -

http://tvnz.co.nz/breakfast-news/music-reviews-guy-sebastian-and-adele-5-49-video-4006759

The live performance from The Tabernacle that was webcast this morning was brilliant! Apart from being an awesome talent Adele is quite the comedian too! Marvellous accent – see below – hopefully they’ll keep it up for a bit!

Adele – ’21′ out now on CD, LP and download – on XL / Rhythmethod in NZ

Adele  - Live at the Tabernacle – Tuesday Jan 25th 9.30AM!!

Since self-releasing their demo / EP, 33, in the Winter of 2009 and following it up with the limited 7” and 12” releases of ‘Lucia, At The Precipice’ and ‘Marching Song’ in 2010, the Brighton trio of Esben and the Witch have steadily been gathering momentum towards the release of their debut album, Violet Cries.

Esben and the Witch are:

Daniel Copeman (Guitar, electronics)

Rachel Davies (Vocals, bass)

Thomas Fisher (Guitar)

Esben and The Witch Main Press Photo

www.esbenandthewitch.co.uk/

Esben and The Witch – Violet Cries is out Jan 31st in NZ on Matador / Rhythmethod….

As some of you avid followers (cheers Facebook!) probably saw the guys and gals of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros have been in the country for a couple of days hanging out in Raglan. We are going to meet them this afternoon to do a couple of interviews so keep your snouts out for upcoming NZ related treats from them….

More News of the last week is the announcement of a solo album from lead man: -

Alexander Ebert, the lead singer of Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, will be releasing his debut solo album ‘Alexander’ on 11th April 2011 through Rough Trade. The album will include ten brand new songs that Alexander wrote and played entirely himself.

Of the project he comments, “I wanted to be able to build an album basically with my hands, like building a house by myself. To me, it’s a very humble album with sky’s-the-limit sort of qualities, and so I didn’t shy away from doing whatever I felt like doing.”

Alexander will play select shows (soon to be announced) before returning to the studio to complete work on the upcoming second LP from Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros which will be released later this year.

‘Alexander’ tracklisting:

1. Let’s Win!
2. Awake My Body
3. Truth
4. In The Twilight
5. Bad Bad Love
6. Old Friend
7. A Million Years
8. Remember Our Heart
9. Glimpses
10. Let’s Make A Deal To Not Make A Deal

Here’s a Youtube link to ‘Truth’, the first single from the album:

And just a wee reminder why they’re so charming - here’s Ed Sharpe & The Magnetic Zero’s Blogoteque session recorded a while back but still awesome…

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero’s – A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero’s – A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zero’s – Up From Below is out now on Rough Trade / Rhythmethod.

Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx

‘I’ll Take Care Of U’

The new album is released 21^s February on XL Recordings / Young Turks / Rhythmethod

Last month, Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx marked news of their ‘We’re New Here’ album with the release of ‘NY Is Killing Me’. It saw Jamie xx reworking ‘New York Is Killing Me’ from Scott-Heron’s 2010 ‘I’m New Here’ album and laid out the blueprint for the forward thinking, electronic sound of ‘We’re New Here’

The next track to be made available from the album is ‘I’ll Take Care Of U’.

The Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx album ‘We’re New Here’ will also be released on 21^st February. As previously announced, the album sees Jamie remixing thirteen tracks from the original ‘I’m New Here’ album sessions. ‘We’re New Here’ is available to pre-order now on various formats including a Vinyl Box Set which will feature the album on pink heavyweight vinyl, an instrumental version of the album on green heavyweight vinyl, CDs of both the album and instrumental album and 2 limited edition photographic prints

‘We’re New Here’ track list:

1. I’m New Here

2. Home

3. I’ve Been Me (Interlude)

4. Running

5. My Cloud

6. Certain Things (Interlude)

7. The Crutch

8. Ur Soul and Mine

9. Parents (Interlude)

10. Piano Player

11. NY Is Killing Me

12. Jazz (Interlude)

13. I’ll Take Care Of U

‘We’re New Here’ formats:

XLYTCD 517 – CD

XLYTLP 517 – Standard LP

XLYTDL 517 – Download

XLYTLPX 517 – Vinyl Box Set

Vinyl Box Set includes:

LP on pink heavyweight vinyl

LP of instrumentals on green heavyweight vinyl

CDs of album and instrumental album

2 limited edition photographic prints

www.werenewhere.com

Now there’s a perfect marriage…. (no – they’re not actually married..) but in the musical sphere…

Still Jamie xx could pretty much hook up with anyone and work his magic. But with the awesome song to start – you get this little beauty…

Adele – 21 – on CD & LP out Jan 24th on XL / Rhythmethod

We are excited to release Violet Cries, the new album from UK group Esben And The Witch this month.  It’s a beautiful album full of pointed beats, percussive drama and ethereal atmospherics.

Here’s an mp3 of single ‘Warpath’ for your listening pleasure!

Warpath [mp3]

Esben And The Witch - Violet Cries is released on CD and LP 31st January 2011 via Matador / Rhythmethod