I'm listening to Fionn Regan's album The End of History and it occurred to me that my buddy Russ might like him (that is, if he hasn't already heard of him).
Fionn Regan is an Irish singer-songwriter who produced his debut album and landed it on the Mercury Short List. This isn't necessarily groundbreaking stuff, but it is lovely and gentle and worth checking out.
Watch Fionn's video for "Be Good Or Be Gone":
I keep forgetting to blog this, and I need to say it: I am obsessed with St. Vincent.
I haven't felt this way since I discovered Feist in late '04. It's that feeling of this is something new, a start of a new relationship with an artist. It goes far beyond this one song is pretty cool. It's the excitement of knowing that the music of St. Vincent, aka Ms. Annie Clark, is going to be with me for a long time.
You might have heard of her as a touring guitarist for Sufjan Stevens and Polyphonic Spree, or opening up as a solo artist more recently for Midlake and John Vanderslice, but this is the first time she's stepped out with her own album. I'm taken with her voice, her songwriting, the new little synapses her sounds forge in my brain. The fact that she's drop-dead gorgeous (and from Texas) doesn't hurt. It's important to note that she's only 24 years old, and I don't point that out to make most of us feel bad. It means that, though songs from her debut Marry Me are already set to become some of my all-time favorites, her very best is yet to come.
Her album Marry Me comes out July 10th on Beggars Banquet. Listen. And keep track of her on her blog.
One of my favorite discoveries as of late is Bat For Lashes' Fur & Gold. My friend Chad told me about them months ago and I finally got the record when I was in Austin. I love singer Natasha Khan's voice and style and the songs are pretty addictive. She brings a modern take on a mystical, fairies-in-the-woods vibe, a la Ms. Nicks.
Jeff just sent me the link to their latest video for "What's A Girl To Do". It's a really simple concept, but still manages to mesmerize me. I also included a video of a live performance of "Moon for Moon".
In researching today's installment of my weekly "When The Lights Go Down In The City" column for SFist, I discovered Johanna Kunin. I can't stop listening to the songs on her MySpace page, especially "Fireflies".
If you like female vocalists and music that's bright, uplifting and mellow, you should listen up.
She's going to be on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic tomorrow (12/8) and is playing at Hotel Utah in SF on Friday oops I meant Saturday.
Listen to "Blueberry":