Check out 'Before I Sleep' from Marika Hackman's forthcoming debut album We Slept At Last. I love her voice and this song is just another beauty. Her debut album is due in a month and I can't wait to hear it.
The new Raury-track is as cool as it is inspiring! Although Summer is far away, it's a little closer with songs like these. "Deep in my heart, I know everything is going to be alright" - Raury
The only record I'm buying this month is Upright Behaviour by Landlady. This record was released in July of 2014 and it's among the finest records I've discovered in the year that's now officially done. I wanted to write about it sooner, but decided to do something a little special by making it the 1st post of 2015 and naming it a Must-Have of the Month. Whenever I listen to this record I remember the excitement I felt the first time I listened to TV On The Radio or Grandaddy. Landlady has that same raw energy and chaotic sound combined with pumping riffs and 70s vocals.
Brilliant record. My advice for this month: get it and never regret it!
In a complete random order, here are the 20-something finest songs I've heard this year. I did bend the rules a little on some of these songs, but they belonged to full records that were released this year, so I'm counting them as 2014-releases. My blog, my rules, right? Have yourself a great hour with these beauties and come back once more before the end of the year, as I have a special 5-track list to share with you later today. For now. Have a great 24 final hours of 2014. Preferably with great music.
The last great album of the year I really wanted to share with you is Haven by Dutch folkband Hilbrandt. This is a rough and tough record that is linked to the water of the sea in sound, lyrics and spirit. If we were celebrating New Years Eve in my house this year, we would lit a few candles and only be listening to this haunting record, and it would slowly take over the souls of everyone present. We would all be changed into something from darker times by the time the clock hits midnight. This is dark Dutch folk and I have no clue how it sounds if you can't understand the lyrics, but I encourage you to find out. It would be a waste not to give it a try, as this is one of the most expressive (Dutch) records of the year.
Another great record from my to-do list is The Brilliance by The Brilliance. This is an intense and melancholic album with power, soul and everything beautiful. The name itself does a better job at describing this record than I ever could. Enjoy this beautiful work of art. Embrace it. Spend an evening in the dark with it. It'll light up your life. It did for me.