You've probably heard of Miike Snow by now-- the Swedish electropop band that The Guardian describes as "Ah-Ha meets Animal Collective". Their music is melodic and incredibly pleasing to the ear; sweet summer sounds that you just want to lie back and put on your headphones for.

It doesn't hurt the band's immediate credibility that two of its members wrote the Britney Spears hit "Toxic", but Miike Snow is more than the sum of its parts. They have a consistent idea of exactly where they're going, and their debut album, the self-titled Miike Snow, has the pleasant ebb and flow that we're all looking for in a pop record.

Ever the taste-maker, Mark Ronson got a hold of their single, the very catchy "Animal", and did his own reggae-influenced remix that works perfectly with lead singer Andrew Wyatt's smooth vocals. The remix has been on heavy rotation on Mark's show on East Village Radio the past few Friday nights, and it's definitely a must hear.

The band will play The Mercury Lounge here in NYC on September 15th & 16th, but you'll have to scalp on Craigslist, cos the gig is sold out.

Miike Snow - Animal (Mark Ronson Remix):


Buy the album

Well, it's been a long time, but One Small Sound is back, and ready to get serious. Stay tuned for some great music!

It was a few years ago when I first heard the voice of one Gemma Hayes, the Tipperary-born & raised singer/songwriter who has since become one of my very favourite voices. At the time, Gemma was touring with the Counting Crows to support the US release of her first LP, Night On My Side, an impressive collection of songs full of love, loss, and an unmistakable air of calm which seems inherent to Hayes' airy, soothing voice.

For all its pop sensibilities, Night On My Side remained an organic freshman effort, with heavier tracks echoing Hayes' early musical influences (My Bloody Valentine topping that list) as well as her quieter side. It wasn't until 2006's The Road's Don't Love You was released that her commercial appeal began to be realized, with one track, "Two Step", even going on to be featured on ABC's Grey's Anatomy. The songs are noticeably more upbeat than NOMS, in form if not in function, though Hayes' trademark lyrical styles and gorgeous vocals don't get lost by the wayside.

Cut to May of 2008, in which Gemma finally releases a long-awaited third album. Entitled The Hollow of Morning, the album features a few of the tracks previewed as rough version over the past few months on her MySpace page, including the the lovely and intense "Home", and the album's first single, "Out Of Our Hands". The song is gentle and yet slightly gritty, a song lamenting (or perhaps just accepting, finally) the unpredictability of even the best relationships. The Hollow of Morning is a beautiful album, and has an organic feel that those who have been fans of Gemma's from the beginning with recognise and love. I know I do.

In a world in which musical favourites come and go, it's hard to say why Gemma has stayed with me for as long as she has. While she's got a wonderful knack for melody and an incredibly warm, accessible voice, there's still something more. I can't put my finger on what it is, but I'm sure if you gave her a listen, you'd feel it too.

The Hollow of Morning was released in the UK on 5 May 2008 and is available online from HMV, Amazon UK, and Play. No US release date has been set currently.

Gemma will be playing the Filmore @ Irving Plaza here in NYC along with fellow Irish band BellX1 on 4 June 2008. Tickets can be purchased from the Irving Plaza website.

The wave of young talent never quite stops-- just last entry I was saying what great acts the UK fosters, and now I bring you 17 year old Laura Marling, an ethereal singer/songwriter whose voice and lyrics are well beyond her tender years. Often described as part of the "alt-folk" genre (a description I find vague and often unattractive), Marling's songs are well-crafted and sharp, often containing contradicting elements and ending up at one end whimsical while retaining a stark, serious quality that is almost haunting. Think early Joni Mitchell, with the blonde hair to match.

Marling may seem to be facing a challenge within the current musical climate-- consider that she's coming out of a pop-centric group of bass and synth-heavy youngsters like Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse, and you'll understand what I mean. However, Marling is obviously on a different trajectory, one whose success may very well rely on those very challenges which in any other circumstances might hinder her. Veering away from the twee, Marling pens lyrics like "I jump into your grave and die / and on my word you'll give up your whole life for me/ and you'll be reborn, bigger and stronger/ and less alive" and places them atop what is clearly her poppiest number, a song called "Cross Your Fingers", which, while it may be her most upbeat number, still comes nowhere close to cheesy or over-produced.

Marling's independently released debut album, Alas I Cannot Swim, will be released in the UK on 11 February and can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk, among other places.

Download:
Laura Marling - New Romantic
Laura Marling - Cross Your Fingers

It's a sad state of affairs when only twenty people are in a room to see Sarah Blasko. Sure, she has spent the majority of her burgeoning career in her homeland of Australia, where she is becoming more and more well-known, selling out big venues around the country and touring pretty non-stop for the past few years. However, Sarah's phenomenal talent-- her voice alone will do you in-- and her natural charm make her one of the most amazing performers, and after two years of waiting (on my end, that is), she finally made it to New York.

Friday, 7 September marked the first of a three week residency at The Living Room, here in the Lower East Side. I arrived geekily (did I just say geekily?) early to find Sarah and crew sitting in the main bar area. I listened to sound check (which sounded amazing in and of itself) and then Sarah took the stage at exactly seven o'clock to a ridiculously empty room. While this sucks, I realised the distinct privilege of seeing Ms. Blasko in such a tiny venue with so few people there-- I was seated roughly three feet from her all evening-- and it's an experience I will not forget. And one that I get to repeat for the next two weeks in a row.

If you're a Sarah Blasko fan, one of the things you probably like best about her is just how quirky she is, and slightly awkward in the best way (because hey, aren't we all a little awkward?). Once the music begins, she gives it her all, bringing songs from her latest album, What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have (which is, according to Sarah, going on sale here in the States in about a week's time), and her first album to life in a way that is magical and a gift to be able to witness. She's adorably self-deprecating and so genuinely nice that it's a little disconcerting. In fact, when she found out how long I'd been a fan, she just kept saying, "But how did you...." before shaking her head and laughing in disbelief. All the waiting finally paid off last night, and I can't wait for next Friday to do it all over again.

Below, a few more pics from the show. I'm not a fan of flashing in an artist's face, especially in such a small room, so excuse the darkness:

Chances are, if you're outside of Australia, you've never heard of Eskimo Joe. It's unfortunate that previous to now, to attempt has been made to bring the guys overseas, besides the tiny blip on the radar that was CMJ 2006. However, with the US release of their latest album, Black Fingernails, Red Wine, things may begin to change for the band, who has already received tremendous success with the album back home, including ARIA Digital charts and a coveted #2 position for the title track on Triple J's 2006 "Hottest 100" program-- Not to mention plenty of ARIA and WAMi awards. The album is full of melodic rock songs strongly presented by vocalist Kav Temperley and held together by Joel Quartermain and Stuart MacLeod, all of whom are multi-instrumentalists and are able to achieve a pop synchronicity that translates into a really well-made album.

I was lucky enough to catch up with Kav a few weeks ago, and here's what he had to say:


One Small Sound: Your songwriting has grown considerably between the release of "Sweater" and "Black Fingernails, Red Wine". Was there a pivotal event that changed your approach to songwriting or was it something that happened gradually and that you were unaware of?


Kav: There was a trend towards taking the songwriting process a little more seriously through the second EP leading up to the 1st album. When we started writing for the 1st album, Joel initiated a meeting whereby we all agreed that we were in this for life, and that we needed to start writing songs that we would be proud to leave behind as a body of work. These had to be songs that we put more thought and heart into. So the 1st album was really the first thing that the real Eskimo Joe ever wrote.

OSS: Walk us through your songwriting process as a band.

Kav: I start the writing process with lyrics and a basic melody. Joel is great with arranging songs and patching up any holes. We make sure the song is tight and works just stripped back on acoustic guitar or piano. Then we jump in our studio and start recording a demo. That's where we put the meat on the bones. We fill the song with as much as it needs and hopefully it works out. Some songs we rerecord up to three or four times.

OSS: One of my favourite songs on the album is "New York". What's the story behind that song?


Kav: That song is about the first time we came to New York. We were chasing a record deal, and things were shaping up well, but in true music industry style, things started to turn sour, and I won't go into it, but the trip was awful. It really felt like us against the world, and we kinda lost our minds a little in the midst of it all.

OSS: What's something you want to accomplish as a band that you've yet to accomplish?


Kav: We want to have a more international presence. We want to be able to jump on a plane and go to Japan, Europe, USA, South Africa, and still have people there that know and love the songs. Seeing the world through the band has been a great experience thus far, and we want to keep that going and open up more of the globe to our music.

OSS: What are some other bands that you guys have been listening to lately? Do you feel that the music you listen to influences your own or are you able to separate the two?


Kav: We welcome the idea that you are what you listen to. It makes sense, I don't think you can listen to music and not be inspired by it. Recently we've been listening to bands like Arcade Fire, Interpol, Sufjan Stevens, Wilco, Kings Of Leon, and there's always more that get thrown onto the CD player.

OSS: What are some of your favourite venues to play and why?


Kav: There's a place called the Tivoli in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It's an old theatre, kind of looks like an old burlesque venue. It's got great acoustics, a second tier mezzanine and a great atmosphere. We've played some really memorable shows there.

OSS: If you weren't in a band, what other jobs do you think you'd be doing?


Kav: We've always joked that I would be a solo artist and Joel a record producer. Stuart would be doing voiceovers for cartoons.