Symphony of Whales

Nate Maingard: Musician in Migration Changing to Wordpress

2011-09-18T11:24:00.001+02:00

You have no doubt been extremely concerned by my extended silence on this blog...this is what has happened:

I have migrated over to a new address and you can find me at: http://natemaingard.wordpress.com.

I've finally had to admit that my life cannot be seperated into compartments of existence...I am a folk musician and I am a music consumer, I am a man and human and I am learnin' as I go.

My new blog still has plenty of awesome band reviews for you...and it now also has updates about my gigs, new songs, photos, videos, tours and all the things which excite me in my life. So come hang out, join in the fun:)

Do you think this is a good idea or should I have stuck with keeping it all seperate? Your opinion is definitely most welcome.

I leave this blog with some sadness for I do love the name and the beautiful backlog I have built up, although never fear it is all being lovingly updated so it works on wordpress also!

One last time I shall share something beautiful with you here on Symphony Of Whales:

Here, an impeccable folk song about a bar fight and drunkenness sung in the most eloquent and beautiful of ways, I give you Nathaniel Rateliff's 'You Should've Seen The Other Guy':

"Is there a blanket of pain, that I can wrap up in?"

Nate out:)

Seabear - We Built A Fire

2011-06-06T15:59:00.001+02:00

This awesome Swedish band sings in English and does so better than most English bands out there! It's folk/pop at it's deliciousest and I'm loving it! Here we have their 2010 album We Built A Fire, it's loads of fun, I've been listening to it all day...

I've realized I don't have as much time a I used to to post, but I will do my best to bring you lovely music at least a couple times a week, so do keep watching this space and be sure to subscribe via email or rss to be informed of updates:). Thanks for your attention and without further ado...

Here is the beautiful video for the beautiful song I'll Build You A Fire:

find Seabear at their website, facebook and twitter

Tristen's Teardrops and Lollipops

2011-05-27T12:38:00.000+02:00

Tristen is another band with a fantastic female vocalist which has found me and lifted me into a feeling a lot like love. What can I say, I am a complete softie for female vocalists, hehe. Teardrops and Lollipops is a sweet collection of home recorded songs, a tribute to simplistic roots and country feelings. Bring it ON!

&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://tristen.bandcamp.com/album/teardrops-and-lollipops"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;teardrops and lollipops by tristen&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Tristen has also just released their official debut album Charlatans At The Garden Gate, which has a more polished and produced sound and is also luvverly. Double whammy!

Find Tristen on facebook, myspace, twitter and their website

My delicious random discovery of the morning: Buke and Gáss

2011-05-19T12:49:00.000+02:00

Facebook has many reasons for existing, one of which is to piss me off no end. This morning, I was blessed by the other side of facebook, the useful side. I saw a post on my friend Joshua Grierson's wall saying he had fallen in love with this band...I am so happy to be able to share this one with you all and all credit goes to Joshua, who will be getting mentions on this blog very very soon.

As you can see from the photo, they look like our kind of people for sure! They also sound like our kind of people, as you will soon discover:). I wish them so much success with their music going forwards, what awesomeness!

Go on, have a listen and buy their album on bandcamp:
&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://bukeandgass.bandcamp.com/album/-"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;+/- by Buke and Gass&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

find Buke and Gáss on myspace, facebook, their website, lastfm and bandcamp

Dylan LeBlanc

2011-05-15T07:50:00.000+02:00

Beautiful, just so darn beautiful (I say darn cos this music's got a serious country bent, and it makes me say things like darn and dag nab it...and gosh).

Dylan LeBlanc's debut 2010 released album Paupers Fields is perfect country-folk singer-songwriter music. It has the classic slide guitar warbling in the background, the rolling country rhythms and the vocals of a man knowing that life is hard but worth singing about...I feel you Dylan!

I don't want to say any more about this wonderfully unpretentious first album, I'll let you decide for yourself, intelligent person that you are.

Some favourites of mine so far are Low, Emma and If The Creek Don't Rise.

Here's a video of Low for your enjoyment:

Low

find more about Dylan on facebook, myspace, lastfm, twitter and his website

Apologizing profusely, making up with tUnE-yArDs

2011-05-14T07:59:00.000+02:00

Shit, life got busy! I'm working real hard on my own music at the moment, gigs and recordings abounding and finding it hard to find the time to find y'all magical music worth our time...still, here's something to blow the cobwebs from your mind, oil up your imagination and lubricate your smiling muscles.

tUnE-yArDs new album whokill reminds me very much of the Dirty Projectors album Bitte Orca, most especially the first single from the album, called Bizness. This does not take away from the uniqueness and fantasticalness of the album and is most definitely not a bad thing, as Bitte Orce does rock the socks off that cat, you know the one, kinda furry, wears shoes...oh yes, Puss in Boots, this song rocks the socks off him, hahaaaa...damn I hope you all find me as funny as I find myself, or I'm in real trouble.

Anyway, this album is awesome, with layered drum rhythms and transcendent vocals leaping up into the skies of passionate music making.

I hope this makes up for my absence on this blog and you forgive me and come back again soon. No more words, here is a song for you!

Bizness

Find tUnE-yArDs on her website, myspace, facebook and twitter

Lucy Rose, a lady with a voice worth hearing

2011-05-04T09:13:00.000+02:00

So delicate, yet confident.

Singing backup on Bombay Bicycle Club's last album Flaws, now releasing some of her own tracks for free download, this lady has all the qualities of someone worth listening to, and as always with a woman with a magical voice, I am already a little bit in love with her.

There will undoubtedly be comparisons to the favourite lady Laura Marling, but I already prefer Lucy Rose, who is more real somehow, more unassuming and delicate, and more precious for all of that!

Have a listen to her songs here, both available for free download on her website.

First:

Night Bus:

Find Lucy Rose on Facebook, Myspace, Lastfm or her website

Middle Brother - Me Me Me

2011-04-26T19:45:00.000+02:00

Take three of the most awesome bands around these days (Deer Tick, Dawes and Delta Spirit), take a member from each (John, Taylor and Matt respectively), form a new band and call it Middle Brother. Then listen to Middle Brother play the song Me Me Me and be damn happy you've done so. Nice!

Find out more about Middle Brother on their website, myspace or facebook. Enjoy!

Andrew James live at the Cape Farmhouse

2011-04-24T09:33:00.000+02:00

I've been feeling grazed, bruised and altogether roughed up in places in my heart these last few weeks, mainly around what it means to be the sort of musician I am. Watching Cape Town band Andrew James play yesterday I could feel their music and authenticity salving the wounds, like a cooling application of just the right medicine at just the right time. They let me know that it is OK to be soft yet deep, rhythmic yet gentle and down-to-earth yet fucking rocking!

I am grateful to these two incredible musicians and I support their journey forward. I mean that literally, as they are raising funds for producing their album by pre-selling it and I just pre-purchased a copy, which you can do too by visiting their website and following instructions.

Check out this rad video of AJ performing:

Get connected with Andrew James on their facebook page...see you there;)

Pearl and The Beard - Killing the Darlings

2011-04-21T18:03:00.003+02:00

It was a few months ago already that I came across a post about Pearl and The Beard on The Wild Honey Pie and I was instantly taken by their passionate and skilled performances, even blogging about them right here on Symphony Of Whales. Since that time, PATB have released their sophomore album called Killing The Darlings.

Signed to The Family Records and consisting of three wonderful vocalists (Jocelyn, Emily and Jeremy) who all compliment one another with lovely fun-feeling harmonies, this is a band to smile to. "You'll be hard pressed to find a New York band more huggable than Pearl And The Beard," as said on bandweblogs and I do so agree!

My favourite songs on the album so far are Sweetness and Douglas Douglas although that's a tough call to make as all of the songs are the sort I like. The cello ROCKS in Sweetness, with it's persistent bounciness keeping the song moving swiftly along. Douglas Douglas is delicious in the way they use clapping so effectively to start the song off and kick right into such fun lyrics and awesome female harmonies. This song builds well into a stomping song of fun and tambourine and then lightens off to pull us inexorably into its addition of horns about 3/4 of the way in. Shit, this is what music is all about people!

I have the strong sense that if I was in New York, these lovely people -along with Lady Lamb The Beekeeper and others- would be the sort I'd be hanging out with, they feel like friends and I don't even know them. Sigh, oh to dream;).

Anyway, I have written here much more than enough, go and listen to this lovely band and be moved to happiness. Pleasurable sensations await.

I can't find links to stream their album tracks, so here's a youtube taster for you, just go listen on their website store, and buy it:). *UPDATE: To go and listen to the album via streaming click here (thanks wesley for that!)

Douglas Douglass on Sleepover Show:

Find Pearl and The Beard on facebook, lastfm and myspace

Thomas Krane, South African Music Making Me Happy!

2011-04-20T17:23:00.002+02:00

Damn, there it is, just like that...music I can relate to coming directly from my own shores, although admittedly a little further north. Wonderful indie folk music under the name of Thomas Krane, with free downloads from their reverbnation page. Love the simple structure, the sweetly questioning lyrics, the electric guitar warmbling (I made up a new word).

Find Thomas Krane on facebook too!

Plus, awesome video by some lovely friends of mine:

thomas krane from invisible sessions on Vimeo.

Thomas Krane's Tunes:

And a photo:

Greenpop Have a Gig To Look Forward to This Week

2011-04-19T18:54:00.000+02:00

This thursday the awesome company known as Greenpop is putting on a very exciting 'Cool as Folk' night at Assembly in Cape Town. I'm so amped, it's some of Cape Town's finest in the line-up. The one I'm most excited to see is the man who's got the whole city's tongue's wagging, mr. Jeremy Loops, who is making waves with his loop box, harmonica and guitar. Finally getting to see him live and I am psyched!

Visit the event on facebook for more details, this company is all about planting trees and deserves our support!

See you there, my dad's coming too, wooohoooo!

Check out Jeremy Loop giving us a demo of what he's up to here:

Jeremy Loops ft Trak-Free Jam 1 from Rowan on Vimeo.

Lady Lamb The Beekeeper - Mammoth Swoon

2011-04-18T15:19:00.000+02:00

If she would take my hand, I might just given it to her. Her rusted voice is a constant invitation to pay attention and offer a lifetime of devotion. One of my favourite random discoveries, Lady Lamb The Beekeeper's album Mammoth Swoon is raw...something I love in an album, when it works. In this case I'd say it does. The rawness comes from the rough recordings, the occasional mistakes and the feeling it all being a heart-felt learning curve for this magnificent young woman.

For anyone who loves chicks with hurting yet clear voices, passionate souls and everything from electric guitars to banjos, I would say you're in luck.

PS: I think she is so BEAUTIFUL!

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://ladylambthebeekeeper.bandcamp.com/album/mammoth-swoon-2010"&amp;gt;Mammoth Swoon (2010) by Lady Lamb the Beekeeper&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Sea Oleena - Sleeplessness, a brand new album

2011-04-15T13:38:00.000+02:00

I am stupidly excited right now, literally babbling like a stream running over round rocks, losing my composure. I have been so excited about the prospect of downloading Sea Oleena's new album Sleeplessness since she first told me about it a couple of weeks ago. As far as I am concerned, this is one of 2011's best underground releases so far.

Once again Charlotte Oleena has used her brother Felix Green as her mixer and producer and I think it was a great idea. This sibling team has a knack for putting together songs which make being awake feel like dreaming.

One of the songs which I most enjoy is Milk, which has such incredible dream lyrics and almost R&B beats, it's just rad. It's a genre-bender in my opinion, fitting in somewhere in between indie, R&B and dream-pop like a friendly lucid dreamer slipping between the cracks of your dreams.

It is so worth paying attention to the lyrics on this album, they remind me of Nick Drake, Iron & Wine and even Alela Diane. The similarity is the strange symbols and personal stories told in a way not immediately accessible, requiring dropping deeper and feeling rather than thinking. There is the theme of ghosts which runs throughout and that is such an apt thread to run through this album. A beautiful drifting ghost revisiting past haunts, floating gently and leaving sweet scents in its wake.

I don't want to say any more, I want you to listen to this incredible album, download it for whatever price you like (even free if you choose) and spend the next week adrift in Sea Oleena.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://seaoleena.bandcamp.com/album/sleeplessness"&amp;gt;Sleeplessness by Sea Oleena&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

She Keeps Bees drowns me in deliciously dirty honey

2011-04-14T11:09:00.000+02:00

With raw, grungy electric guitar and honey-thick female vocals bursting forth from sparse tracks, this dirty blues is filling my body with the urge to move, fuck, sing and scream out my life to the sun and make it pay attention.

A duo based in NYC, She Keeps Bees has already released a number of self-produced albums and E.P.'s. The one I've been listening to is the recent SKB-005 7" Record, which is a two track EP...both tracks ROCK. I love music like this! It brings to mind The White Stripes and some of The Black Keys, with that raw passionate musical energy.

I'll shut up now, let you get some...

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://shekeepsbees.bandcamp.com/album/skb-005-7-record"&amp;gt;SKB-005 7&amp;amp;quot; Record by She Keeps Bees&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Find She Keeps Bees on facebook, myspace, bandcamp or their website

Port St. Willow Brings Us Lovely Ambient Dream Pop

2011-04-10T19:52:00.000+02:00

Reminiscent of such lovelies as The Album Leaf and Sigur Ros (yes I know I'm making big comparisons, I feel they are within reason), this one man multi-instrumentalist is Nick Principe and he is creating music worth listening to.

Nick's delicate vocals run in and out of the melodies of layered instruments and gentle electronic sounds, with some nice build-ups and crescendos here and there. Perfect music to float to, if any of you are into floating, which I am.

You can download Port St. Willow's E.P. for free from his Bandcamp page, or you can pay as it's a choose your price download. Always nice to drop a few dollars if you can, support the dude! The Wild Honey Pie music blog has a very cool interview with Nick which you can go check out here.

Go float...

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://portstwillow.bandcamp.com/track/even"&amp;gt;Even by Port St. Willow&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

locate Port St. Willow at his tumblr page, on facebook, myspace, twitter or bandcamp

Good Old War by Good Old War

2011-04-09T20:05:00.000+02:00

Rad band name; three beautiful looking young men; surprisingly subtle harmonies; a full sound while maintaining a very homegrown feel; this self-produced and self-titled sophomore album by Good Old War is a happy find.

I haven't had a chance to listen to the whole album yet but what I have heard so far makes me think this proverbial disc will be spinning in my proverbial cd player for some time to come (everything mp3's these days, is what I'm saying). As each track comes on I am freshly surprised by the melodic and rhythmic variety on this album. I am listening as I type and keep pausing in happy surprise to appreciate the new sounds of twanging guitars, rolling drums and heart-felt lyrics. Think Crosby Stills, Nash and Young meets The Civil Wars meets The Wind Whistles meets The Dodo's on opium (don't ask me where that came from, haha).

Here are the songs grabbing my attention swiftly (every one so far, tough to choose, hehe). And yes, I strongly recommend you press play.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://digital.goodoldwar.com/track/making-my-life"&amp;gt;Making My Life by Good Old War&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://digital.goodoldwar.com/track/thats-some-dream-2"&amp;gt;That's Some Dream by Good Old War&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://digital.goodoldwar.com/track/old"&amp;gt;Old by Good Old War&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

please do visit Good Old Wars on facebook, myspace, bandcamp or their website

Oh Shit, it's This Is The Kit!

2011-04-08T09:26:00.000+02:00

Very sweet tunes by a lovely female vocalist in this project called This Is The Kit (the project is really Kate Stables). Rocky country folky indie feel to the music, with a floaty, airy and endearing vocal style. Not much I want to say here, but strongly recommend you press play ASAP! :)

Super psyched to get more into these tunes and listen to them until they pour out from my lips in the form of hummed songs being freed from their stuck place in my head! I leave you in good hands.

&lt;p&gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://thisisthekit.bandcamp.com/album/wriggle-out-the-wrestless"&amp;gt;Wriggle Out the Wrestless by This Is The Kit&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;

find This Is The Kit on lastfm, myspace, bandcamp or facebook

Josh Ritter's Daytrotter Session

2011-04-06T20:37:00.000+02:00

Josh Ritter blows my mind every single time I listen to his music. His lyrics are beyond incredible. His songs sing perfect stories with so many layers they take me ages of intent attention to dive deep within their meanings.

When I first heard the song The Temptation Of Adam on Josh's 2010 Daytrotter Session, I felt things shift, I felt pieces of my heart shiver and my eyes begin to glow with the light of a new-found love affair. The song is about love in isolation, a man and woman crawling into a nuclear silo to hide from the potential World War Three outside. He loves her instantly and she falls in love with him over time. He doesn't ever want them to leave because he feels that their love may fail if they take it out of the safety of the silo. The temptation is to push the button and launch the nuclear missile, so beginning world war and meaning they have to stay safe in their love underground. It is one of my favourite songs of all time.

Also please download the daytrotter session for free here and listen to The Curse and Another New World, both incredible stories in song! Also, got buy his incredible 2010 album So Runs the World Away and get lost in more Ritter magic.

For now, enjoy The Temptation of Adam:

find Josh Ritter on facebook, myspace, twitter or his website.

Megafaun - Gather, Form and Fly (taking me with)

2011-04-05T18:20:00.001+02:00

I've been hearing about Megafaun for some time now, but have only very recently got a hold of their 2009 sophomore album Gather, Form And Fly and I am stoked to be hearing it!

Filled with fantastic harmonies, jangly guitar-playing, assertive rhythms and occasionally strange yet deeply addictive lyrics, this is an album of experimental jazziness as well as satisfying country folk predictability, to be listened to more than once in order to enjoy the flavours within.

"Come on ease your mind..."

This song is a lovely example of the playfulness and experimentation to be found herein:

And this one more represents the lovely country folk vibes:

LOVE these beards!

Find megafaun on lastfm, their website, myspace and twitter.

Bon Iver sings on a Kanye West track...it's awesome!

2011-04-04T18:50:00.000+02:00

So much fun to hear an indie musician like Bon Iver featured on a hip-hop track as bangin', rude and altogether rad this one is!

Love Song For A Mountain

2011-04-01T21:24:00.000+02:00

I want to thank you for reading this blog, from the bottom of my heart. Music has always been a primary and unrelenting passion for me. From memorizing the words to The Beatles' Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds when I was too young to know what they meant, to making love to The Album Leaf's incredible dream-pop as an 'adult', to being moved alternately to tears and laughter by the music I find myself in, I have always lived for the melodies and rhythms and lyrics of this incredible form of art we have in our world. Sharing my joy for music is a blessing and I thank those of you who take the time to be a part of what I love. Thank you.

Without further ado, here is a song by Great Lake Swimmers called Rocky Spine. It is a love song for mountains and it is one of my all-time favourites; for its beautiful story of love of the mountains, for its love of the wild and for its love of the secret pathways being lovingly mapped out by the one who is doing the loving. The rolling rhythms carry me with them, while the subtle female harmonies make me feel the mystery of wondering what secrets this beautiful mountain love song will divulge next. It is nostalgic and worshipful and I am grateful to listen to it. Favourite line: "With your soft fingers between my claws, like purity against resolve..."

Great Lake Swimmers on myspace, facebook or their website.

listener

2011-03-31T18:28:00.000+02:00

Hard hitting, smashing, bashing through walls of solitude and sleepiness, lyrics which mean something, rhythms which move everything. Truth spoken and shouted out, beating on a washing machine drum with a big stick, spinning off tongue words which need to be heard, bigger believers in the beauty of it all, disguised as the salesman but really the cure! Oh my dear friends, this song and video are SO FUCKING AWESOME!

Check out listener on myspace, facebook, bandcamp, twitter and their website

Huge thanks go to my good friend Luke, who has never ceased to impress me with his musical introductions. Buddy, you hit the jackpot with this one!!!

Damien Jurado's Saint Bartlett reminds me to wear my Cloudy Shoes

2011-03-30T18:03:00.003+02:00

Three days ago, with me comfortably resting upon the floor of my lounge, surrounded by the sounds of Damien Jurado's album Saint Bartlett, I could only lay there while simultaneously float away.

It has taken me three days to work up to feeling that I can blog about this album and even now I don't quite feel up to it. There is so much here I would love to draw your attention to, so many subtleties wafting and intertwining through these songs and I have only barely begun to scratch the surface for myself.

Sway rhythmically to the stereo clapping in the song Cloudy Shoes; wonder about the beautiful conversation between two characters in Rachel and Cali; fall in song love with a love song for Kansas City; and be gentled by the finespun quality of Damien's voice in Beacon Hill as he sings beautiful words placed with perfect simplicity through line after line of heart-felt poetry.

One of my favourite things about this man's music is that he seems to be having a conversation with me when he sings, it feels effortless, as though I am a good friend who he is sharing his thoughts on life with. Thanks Damien, look forward to sharing more with you buddy!

When thinking of Saint Bartlett, the word masterpiece comes to mind...

Cloudy Shoes:

Beacon Hill:

Rachel & Cali:

Damien Jurado can be found on myspace, his website and even flickr

The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow

2011-03-27T19:54:00.000+02:00

It is a blessing to be in the flow of the river of music, because others know you're paddling and send you maps with x's for finding magical eddies to become drifted off in new directions by.

Thank you to my friend and fellow blogger, musician, music lover and photographer Fiona for being one of those who shares treasures with me.

The title track on the Civil War's album Barton Hollow kicks off with fantastic harmonies and follows rapidly with a powerful foot stomping strum and drum combination. It makes me feel like I've just walked through the swing doors of a saloon and out into a dusty desert sun, hands held loosely at my hips, hat tipped low over my eyes, spurs clinking upon the dry wooden floors, ready for the showdown.

Throughout this album, one of the most pleasurable experiences is getting lost in the absolutely gorgeous harmonies intertwining between these two magnificent singers. The whole male/female blend of vocals works so perfectly in this case, it is incredible. They both have very clear voices, which ring true and effortless and glide over and under one another like swallows playing in a sunset-pink sky.

The songs are sweet and touching, filled with innocence, sadness, hope, joy and just the right hints of darkness for the emo part of me, hah. My favourite songs so far are: I've Got This Friend, Barton Hollow and the bonus track I Want You Back.

I Want You Back is a heart-rending tale of love realized once it's gone, asking for second chances, with not much hope of redemption. When I first heard it, it went straight through my shell and popped the bubble of tears in my heart...its timing was so perfect I cannot describe!

Enough talking, go press play!

Visit The Civil Wars on facebook, myspace or their website