Left Standing

Civilian - Wye Oak

The Indie-Folk/ Folk-Rock genre is full of bands with identical sounds and a shallow idea of what the genre is actually all about. Wye Oak have managed to distinguish themselves, along with a few others, in the eyes of all Folk-Rock lovers. Civilian is an elegant blend of dreamy vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, glorious drums and an always deliberate pacing that speak volumes for the quality of each song and create an environment you wouldn't mind getting lost in. The title track, "Civilian" is probably the overall best song on the album but unlike several other albums, it is not the only track with any kind of real value. "Dog's Eyes" is not filler to round the track list up to ten; with it's quick pace and amazing build-up from the acoustic to the electric guitar, it is one fun musical experience. "Fish" may start off a little slower, it pays off with fantastic vocals and a deep atmosphere. "Hot As Day" great name for a great track, loud, powerful instrumentals, superb vocals with that dreamy tone, hot indeed. Altogether, this is an album built from the bottom up with heart and passion and you can hear it in each cord and in every word; the best Indie-Folk album so far this year.

1.- Civilian 

2.- Dog's Eyes

3.- Doubt

4.- Fish

5.- Holy Holy

6.- Hot As Day

7.- Plains

8.- The Alter

9.- Two Small Deaths

10.- We Were Wealth

Xero & The Boombox Theorists

Monsters Of Iceland

Of Monsters And Men EP - 
Of Monsters And Men

If we had a Song Of The Month category this would be on the top of my list. Of Monsters And Men, an up-and-coming Icelandic group, have been signed since December and I am now eagerly awaiting their debut album, certainly if it sounds anything like this fun and upbeat track. It just seems to hit all the right buttons, "Little Talks" just grabs you right from the beginning with that amazing instrumental and awesome vocals by the two singers who sound just as good live as they do on the track itself as the video will prove. I will be keeping my ear to the ground for whatever these guys release next because I feel it will be worth it.

1.- Little Talks -Of Monsters And Men

Discovered this band through this very video

Xero & The Boombox Theorists

Heart & Folk

Sigh No More - Mumford & Sons

The genre that is Folk has gifted us with many gems that simply ooze of the feel of a subway guitarist pouring his soul out to a crowd of indifferent passersby, but never before have I heard an entire ensemble collection that has tickled my fancy as much as the debut album of Mumford & Sons. The band name alone tells you where this is going but it is definitely worth taking that trip. Now Folk music entails many different things if you are not aware, those being: each song tells a story, not in pieces but as a whole, and at the end there is a moral or learned experience to a varying degree (this not being the case here); most if not all the tracks are played with acoustic instruments, and these guys bring it: guitar, drums, mandolin, banjo, dobro, accordion, double bass and some sounds I can't make out. The overall package is absolutely enchanting, very down-to-Earth lyrics, great vocals by Mr. Marcus Mumford himself, an engrossing sense of laying back while you are being told a story accompanied by some fantastic instrumentals.

The Cave

This is the track that started it all and I've only seen the video up until recently.

Little Lion Man

Heavy hitter back in Australia. That is a good looking banjo.

Xero & The Boombox Theorists