Twelve

Breathe – (from the album The Orchestra, Sadly, Has Refused – 2004) : THE SILENT LEAGUE
A band that came together from former members of Mercury Rev (of whom they sound eerily similar) and Interpol (and there are traces of that sound as well) and based in New York.  A lush, orchestral, sound under good indie songs, one also gets a flavour of the solo work of George Harrison who, I am guessing, must have been a big influence

A Sobering Thought (Just When One Was Needed) – from the album First Frost – 2008) : THE LUCKSMITHS

Australian indie band who called it a day in 2009 after 16 years together and who never got the success they deserved. Always a band with a sunny disposition, their most striking feature was that the lead vocalist was the drummer, who would stand up whilst simultaneously singing and playing.  A song, and an album, guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

Now’s The Only Time I Know – (from the album Fever Ray – 2009) : FEVER RAY

We’re staying on a Scandinavian tip for Karin Dreijer Andersson, one half of Swedish electro duo The Knife and a solo artist recording as Fever Ray. A very dark album, almost swamp-like, but one that you want to listen to again and again. For me, this was one of the best albums of 2009 and one I come back to often.