Tracklist
1. Flume
2. Lump Sum
3. Skinny Love
4. The Wolves (Act I and II)
5. Blindsided
6. Creature Fear
7. Team
8. For Emma
9. re: Stacks

Review
Well, I should have reviewed this album sooner because it’s one of the best ones of this year. I was already eager to hear this cd after reading Bon Iver’s story on last.fm:

Justin Vernon moved to a remote cabin in the woods of Northwestern Wisconsin at the onset of winter. Tailing from the swirling breakup of his long time band (DeYarmond Edison), he escaped to the property and surrounded himself with simple work, quiet, and space. He lived there alone for three months, filling his days with wood splitting and other chores around the land. This special time slowly began feeding a bold, uninhibited new musical focus.

This slowly evolved into days filled with twelve-hour recording blocks, breaking only for trips on the tractor into the pines to saw and haul firewood, or for frozen sunrises high up a deer stand. All of his personal trouble, lack of perspective, heartache, longing, love, loss and guilt that had been stock piled over the course of the past six years, was suddenly purged into the form of song. The end result is, For Emma, Forever Ago, a nine-song album comprised of what’s been dubbed a striking debut by critics and fans alike.

You truly feel the cold, desolate landshape around you when you’re listening to the songs. In a soft and gentle way, Justin lets you float along the feelings he expresses. It is as if you’re standing next to him, with your heels deep in the snow and only wilderness around you , contemplating how your life has been up till now.

If I could describe this album with one word, I would say ‘Intimacy’. Listen to this album, and you’ll understand why I’ve fallen in love with it…

My favorite song: 3. Skinny Love, 9. re: Stacks

Similar Artists: Iron and Wine, Great Lake Swimmers

Coldplay - Violet Hill
[See post to listen to audio]

Coldplay - Viva La Vida
[See post to listen to audio]

Coldplay - A Spell a Rebel Yell
[See post to listen to audio]
This last song won’t be on the album, but will be a B-side on a special vinyl of ‘Violet Hill’

Edit:
Extra B-side from ‘Violet Hill’

Coldplay - Lost
[See post to listen to audio]

Tracklist
1. Bixby Canyon Bridge
2. I Will Possess Your Heart
3. No Sunlight
4. Cath
5. Talking Bird
6. You Can Do Better Than Me
7. Grapevine Fires
8. Your New Twin Sized Bed
9. Long Division
10. Pity and Fear
11. The Ice Is Getting Thinner

Review
The last album of Death Cab for Cutie has leaked (and this one is not fake…) ! It differs from their last two albums by being a bit more mellow and less uptempo. The typical edgy poppy sound has been switched for a more mellow laidback vatiety. The songs are all really decent, better than mediocre, but they certainly don’t exceed my expectations. The voice of Ben Gibbard makes every song a bit more special even though the songs aren’t that brilliantly written. My favourite song is the first single ‘I Will Possess Your Heart’. Everyone has probably already heard this song (if not, then you haven’t visited their site lately :p). I dislike the long instrumental part (it is just waaaaay to long), but I reallly do like the second part. It reminds me a bit of the ‘old’ songs.

Oh yes, the file you can get, contains m4a-files. Since my music player (foobar) can play them without a problem, I was to lazy to convert them :p

Have fun with the album! Don’t forget to support the band by going to their upcoming concerts!

My favorite song: 2. I Will Possess Your Heart

Similar Artists: The Shins, Ben Gibbard, Postal Service, Bright Eyes

2. Lie in bed

3. Put this music on
[See post to listen to audio]

4. Look at the clouds floating by

Tracklist
1. See These Bones
2. Whose Authority
3. Beautiful Beat
4. Here Goes Something
5. Weightless
6. Are You Lightning?
7. I Like What You Say
8. From Now On
9. Ice on the Wing
10. The Fox
11. The Film Did Not Go Round

Review
In my opinion, they sound like a mix of The Shins and Death Cab For Cutie: the poppy sound of The Shins combined with the melancholy that embodies Death Cab For Cutie. The soft voice of Matthew Caws suits the songs really well and gives you a happy feeling. All their songs make you dream away on thoughts of beautiful horizons with the morningsun, a nice breeze through your hear whilst driving along the sea. The fact that all the songs sound alike doesn’t really matter, because the overall quality of the songs is very high. In spite of the happy sunshine-ish optimistic side, Matthew Caws sounds very mature and reflective. Therefore this album is a must-have for every indiepop-lover. Enjoy the album!

My favorite song: 2. Whose Authority, 5. Weightless

Similar Artists: The Shins, Death Cab For Cutie

It’s a personal selection with pictures I ripped of Deviantart (I don’t know which artists anymore so I can’t credit them, if this is you read this and this is your wallpaper, let me know so I can put the credits up) and other websites and some pictures of my own.

If you’ve also got some nice wallpapers, comment and share them with us!

Tracklist
1. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - Falling Slowly
2. Marketa Irglova And Glen Hansard - If You Want Me
3. Glen Hansard - Broken Hearted Hoover Fixer Sucker Guy
4. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - When Your Minds Made Up
5. Glen Hansard - Lies
6. Interference - Gold
7. Marketa Irglova - The Hill
8. Glen Hansard - Fallen Form The Sky
9. Glen Hansard - Leave
10. Glen Hansard - Trying to Pull Myself Away
11. Glen Hansard - All the Way Down
12. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - Once
13. Glen Hansard - Say It to Me Now

Review
You needn’t have seen the movie to fully appreciate the ‘Once’ soundtrack. Maybe as a quick background: Glen Hansard (Vocalist of the Irish rock group ‘The Frames’) features as a self-proclaimed wanderer with only a guitar and a bunch of shattered dreams. When he bumps into the beautiful nameless Czech girl (a convincing Marketa Irgleva), an inner journey begins, accompanied by the protagonists’ personal soundtrack. If there is any romance involved (no spoilers!) it is without any frills and with just that healthy dose of mellowness. What you get in the songs is pure and honest folk rock with an edge, thanks to the combination of Hansard’s emotionally raw and Irgleva’s innocent angel voice (think of Damien Rice on the verge of tears). If you take the time to listen carefully, the songs gently invite you to do a bit of soul-searching yourself, the screaming and kicking included. These songs and this movie were just made for own entertainment, but have already reached thousands of people all over the world and touched their hearts: so now it’s your turn to feel it…

My favorite song: 2. If You Want Me, 4. When Your Mind’s Made Up

Similar Artists: Damien Rice, The Frames, Interference

- Why?
Because I feel like it. I was a bit tired of writing a review every day and that’s why I quit and started doing other stuff to entertain myself: it wasn’t fun anymore … But now I feel like writing back.

- Is it going to be the same?
No, I will definitely post less than before, so that it remains fun for me. I will also post some random rants sometimes, just because I like it. There will be no more Musicnews or Tournews : I don’t think anyone really read that stuff and it wasn’t fun writing it.

So you can expect some fresh album reviews in the near future!

PS: I also updated the frontpage of ICkStuff … A lot better now in my opinion!

Why?
- No time
- Lost interest

If someone wants to take-over … mail me (see Contact)

If you want to look for mellow albums yourself: use the music-search @ http://www.ickstuff.com/ (Free Filehosts)

Peace out,

S