Founded in Seattle in 2005 and then relocated to South Carolina, Band of Horses is an act that reflects their migratory roots.
Fusing the sounds of Southern rock and country with an indie rock aesthetic, this group has an appealing energy which verges on dive bar-singalong with layered and reverb-tinged harmonies over a twangy electric sound.
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Band of Horses: The Funeral (Grand Central Station)
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Band of Horses: Infinite Arms (Hollywood Forever Cemetery)
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Band of Horses: Ode to the LRC (Black Cab Sessions)
At 23 years old, Lianne La Havas has already hit the big time.
Born into a musical family, she started learning how to play herself at the young age of 7. Her father taught her how to play piano and guitar as Lianne watched her mother perform on stage with the likes of Jill Scott and Mary J. Blige. She took on the stage name of La Havas as an interpretation of her father’s surname, Vlahavas.
That her father was Greek and her mother Jamaican could explain why La Havas’ music fuses so many different genres of music; jazz, soul, R & B, and subdued rock.
La Havas’ growth as a performer has been staggering. After appearing on the BBC’s “Later…. with Jools Holland” with Bon Iver, that band’s founder Justin Vernon immediately snatched her up to tour with them throughout the US.
“As soon as we saw her play it was so refreshing; somebody who could play their instrument, somebody who could use their voice, but in their own way,” said Vernon. “She is just fantastic.”
La Havas’s first official album release, “Is Your Love Big Enough?”, was named iTunes’ Album of the Year for 2012. One thing is for sure, we’ll all be hearing a lot more of her.
Prepare to be moved by La Havas’ beautiful voice and these songs of love and loss.
Lianne La Havas: Gone (Slaughtered Lamb)
Lianne La Havas: Tease Me (Servants Jazz Quarters)
There are likely three different kinds of people among you when it comes to the Australian-born artist Sia.
You’ve either never heard of her and are currently trying to sound out her name, your musical tastes veer more towards the pop and techno and you recognize her as a recent collaborator with David Guetta, or like me, you became aware of her after bawling your eyes out after the gut-wrenching series finale of HBO’s Six Feet Under in 2005.
It was a manly, reserved, sensitive sort of bawling. Don’t judge. It was a great show, OK?
Sia is quirky, charming, and packs a powerful voice in her tiny frame. Her 2004 album “Colour the Small One” and 2008’s “Some People Have Real Problems” were a real showcase for these qualities. They featured many soulful ballads that really highlighted her gift as a singer and songwriter.
Currently, she’s been embracing more of the pop spotlight, which is sort of a shame. Sia’s latest album “We Are Born” transforms her into more of a dance-pop star and doesn’t give enough attention to the power and intimacy of her previous work. She helped write Rihanna’s hit “Diamonds” and is now working with Katy Perry on her newest album.
For today’s morning music, I’ve chosen to highlight some of Sia’s earlier work, including the song that appeared in the aforementioned finale of Six Feet Under.
Sia: Breathe Me
Sia: Soon We’ll Be Found (Live at London Roundhouse)
Sia: You Have Been Loved (KCRW)
Sia: Little Black Sandals
Sia: Buttons (Later… With Jools Holland)
Granted, only Sia’s voice appears in this final live performance video, but you will probably still enjoy it.
Alt-J is a new band for most of us, formed in 2008 by four students from Leeds University. Their first album, “An Awesome Wave, was finally released last year. They won the Mercury prize in UK for that album.
Because of the inventive name of their band, they are unable to do an interview without someone asking about the significance of their band’s name. When you press Alt + J on a Mac, it makes the mathematical symbol for “delta,” which is a triangle (∆). Did you need to know that? No, but you were curious, so let’s never bring it up to them again.
They have an awesome psychedelic sound which fuses the ethereal vocal tone of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke with some of that band’s more funky electronic sounds. Yet, Alt-J is unique enough to quickly dissipate those comparisons when you sit down to really listen. There’s elements of hip hop, folk, pop, acoustic rock, and even gospel chants buried within this very intellectual and sexual indie rock.
For your morning music listening today, here are four great video performances.
Your Morning Music 