The Antlers: "Kettering"

I have been waiting for the last few weeks for a version of this song to become available on their website or youtube. So finally after a long wait something even better has come along. An embeddable stream of the album that the band has released - complete with a sweet visualizer. I wish every band released this type of thing. The first song I heard off their most recent album, Hospice, was "Kettering" - the the second track on the album (skip ahead to this one if you are impatient and don't understand long ambient intros into albums.) Hospice is a concept album of sorts and handles a rather heavy subject matter with ambient indie rock. It's pretty sweet.

While their stuff may not be for everyone, much like a lot of stuff I put on this blog, I am absolutely in love with this song. This album, Hospice, is by far my favorite of their works. On another closely related subject let me say that I am excited to see what is yet to come this year. 2009 is looking to be a pretty awesome year for music. There has already been a few great albums in my mind - Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion being one of them. This album is set in my mind to be in, at the very least, my top 10 of 2009.

The singer for The Antlers at times reminds me of Jeff Buckley, which is pretty cool (I should post a few of his songs for any of you who have not heard him). Regardless of who The Antlers remind me of this is very strong album. I dig it. I hope you do too.

Video = ICE: Music by Sigur Ros - "illgresi"

Today is a short post. This is a pretty sweat video that features a song by one of my favorite bands - Sigur Ros. It is even better in high-def but you have to go to the Vimeo site to watch it - you can do so by clicking here. I hope you enjoy it.

ICE from Alex Horner on Vimeo.

School of Seven Bells: "Half Asleep"

I love the ethereal feel of this song. School of Seven Bells debut album release, Alpinisms, was one of this years strongest debuts. It would make great night driving music.

School of Seven Bells - "Half Asleep"

Sigur Rós: Hoppípolla (or "Jumping into Puddles")

Often the music I listen to comes directly from a sort of family tree of influences.  For instance, an artist or band I enjoy mentions they like this or that album and then I go check it out.  It is a method which really saves a lot of time.  

This band, Sigur Rós, is just such an example. I remember Chris Martin from Coldplay describing Sigur Rós way back in 2000 as being music of "pure emotion," which actually describes their work quite well.  Being in a different language, I can't understand a word they are saying, but you feel it. This particular song may have first been introduced to a more mainstream audience when it was used to promote the television program Planet Earth. Hoppípolla, off the album Takk, is perhaps one of the most powerful and emotional pieces of music off that album and that I have ever heard.  It makes me want to explore, smile, and give someone a hug all at the same time. 

Here is the Planet Earth Video, but if you are interested check out their music video here which is equally as touching, but in a totally different way. 

Hoppípolla