Wolf Lullaby A little music to soothe, to provoke, to delight. Music as medicine. :) Statistics Unique Visitors: Total Unique Visitors: Outgoing: Total Outgoing: 0 0 0 1716

Articles from Wolf Lullaby

You Should Know... Delays 2007-09-22 15:30:00 Why you should know them: Four lads making wonderful grown up indie music, they're kinda what The Las might have grown into if crossed with the Cocteau Twins. Sumptuous lyrics of yearning and lush atmospheric melodies combine to create something beautiful.Where they're from: Southampton, on the south coast of England. They've been through several names, line ups and styles but they settled on their current formation and style in 2004 when they released their first album, Faded Seaside Glamour which brilliantly captured the dreams and hopes that somehow survive living in a city famous for being a point of departure. Their second album, You See Colours, came out in 2006 and gave them exposure at festivals, Top Of The Pops and a couple of songs were used in TV ad campaigns in both the UK and US. Their third, Everything's The Rush, is due out in early 2008.When they're touring: They're playing a handful of dates in Novemeber around the UK - if you get a chance you should go as they' ...

Darren Hayes - This Delicate Thing We've Made 2007-09-21 00:46:00 I'm posting this for a couple of reasons.I was impressed that he managed to get so high up the charts with this despite it being on his own label and not a major. That's neat and noteworthy. The fact that he hasn't smacked any journalists despite the fact they still refer to him as the former Savage Garden man rather than the now solo artist with his *third* album. That's also impressive.This Delicate Thing We've Made is a concept album about coming out and is a double disc affair, self indulgent in places and a little pretentious occasionally as double discs can be. There are however moments of electronic/disco delight on it which make it very listenable. I'm posting a couple of songs but if you like what you hear go buy it and support an independent artist. Especially since that link there takes you to his own website's download shop.Track: Me, Myself and (I) Tracknotes: My favourite from the album, a disco, electronic number which has a hint of 80s splendour and a great choru ...

Theme Post #4 - Mashups 2007-09-19 18:37:00 I love mashups, I really appreciate them.Sometimes because they're funny. Sometimes because they bring something else to the table that I wasn't expecting. Sometimes because they make me re-listen to the original songs and hear something I missed. Sometimes because they sound like a musical trainwreck but you can't help but admire whatever twisted genius decided to do it anyway.There's no way I could write the definitive post on this theme as there are just so, so many mashups out there - please feel free to recommend your favourites in the comments. :)For now though, here are some I'd like to share. If you're in a rush make sure you grab the first track and the last two or scroll to the bottom of the post and grab the zip. :)Track: Star Wars vs. The Chemical Brothers - Galvanise The EmpireTracknotes: This is just amazing - it so works. You need this track.Track: Jay-Z vs. Linkin Park - Numb/EncoreTracknotes: You might think you don't like the sound of either track but seriously ...

Just A Minute last night 2007-09-19 01:34:00 Last night I came home from work tired and a little stressed. And then I put the kettle and the radio on. Just in time for a particularly good episode of Just A Minute. My stress faded away pretty rapidly. :)The panelists from last night were Jenny Eclair, Giles Brandeth, Julian Clary and Paul Merton and they were on top form, it was truly great. Listen Again to last night's show - listen to the first two minutes and the first subject/challenge and I promise you, you'll be hooked. For those not based in the UK and/or unaware of the show let me fill you in. Just A Minute is a bastion of British comedy, it's been running for thirty five years, versatility and creativity ensures it remains fresh each year and programme. It is a panel show - one host (currently that fabulous snark, Nicholas Parsons) and four guest comedians who change weekly - and the point of the show is that the guests have to discuss different subjects for just a minute but without deviation from the topic, repetitio ...

Monday Mix #4 - 17/09/07 2007-09-16 20:23:00 Each Monday I'll be sharing (a lucky) 13 tracks that don't share a theme, they're just worth sharing. Obviously all of them are worth taking but just in case you're in a rush I'll flag the three you shouldn't leave without downloading in red and using a ***. :) This week I have for you - Track: Robyn - Be Mine!Tracknotes: I cannot get this out of my head, it is just so goddamn catchy. Join me in singing it over and over until people ask you what it is that you're singing and an you give me them a copy. Actually most of her new album is pretty damn sweet so expect a You Should Know post at some point. 'You never were/And you never will/Be Mine!'Video: YouTube oddness this way.Track: Incubus - Acqueous TransactionTracknotes: Ignore the slightly pompous title, this is a truly stunning track all Asian sounding swirly stuff that you can't help but be enticed by, this is so very different to the rest of Incubus's stuff that I refused to believe it was them before I googled it. 'I ...

Zippedee Doodah - Zips Of All The Posts So Far... 2007-09-15 21:54:00 So, I promised you zips of all the previous posts. Ever a woman of my word, here they are. All new posts will just have a link listed as ***Give Me The Zip*** at the bottom of the post but here are the catch ups.First up, the Welcome Post. This was a collection of 15 tracks to make you dance or tap your fingers to. Welcome Post - To see the tracklisting click here.Next up, the Monday Mixes, 13 random tracks are presented for your perusal every week and here are the three Monday Mixes offered so far:Monday 27/08/07 - To see the tracklisting click here.Monday 03/09/07 - To see the tracklisting click here.Monday 10/09/07 - To see the tracklisting click here.Then the Theme Posts:Audio Filth - To see the tracklisting click here.Good Covers - To see the tracklisting click here.OMGWTF Covers - To see the tracklisting click here.And finally the artist spotlights. These come with the huge, *sledgehammer sensationed* reminder that if you like the artist then you have to support them. Go buy thei ...

You Should Know... The Umbrellas 2007-09-15 06:00:00 Why you should know them: They're mellow and gentle one minute and then lapsing into electro-pop the next. Scott Windsor (while looking nothing like you expect him to) has one of those voices that manages to be emotional without drifting too far into emo. If you like Modest Mouse, The Delays, Death Cab For A Cutie, Something Corporate or The Cure you'll see elements of those artists in the work of The Umbrellas. I'll quote a lot of lyrics in the tracknotes below but it really doesn't do justice to how they sound with Windsor's voice managing to load them with so much meaning.Where they're from: Oklahoma, USA. The Umbrellas is essentially Windsor working with various other rotating artists, these change from album to album and tour to tour. It's also interesting to note that their first album, Umbrellas, was recorded in a haunted house and their second, Illuminare, in an abandoned comedy club which obviously gave everyone ideas and suggestions...When they're touring: On tour cur ...

On The Subject Of Odd Covers - William Shatner... 2007-09-14 05:46:00 William Shatner, that legend. From playing Kirk to butchering popular music. What a guy. Just a couple of tracks to amuse you:William Shatner - Lucy In The Sky With DiamondsProof that Shatner is a very strange man indeed. He declaims as if he was over-doing Shakespearian tragedy. William Shatner - Common PeopleCreepy, creepy and more creepy. 'Do you see anybody laughing?' Well, erm, yes I do Mr Shatner. It's that hysterical 'what are you doing, man?' laughter. ...

Theme Post #3 - OMG/WTF Covers 2007-09-13 04:30:00 Last week I offered some covers that I consider to be good. This week I am offering up some covers that just make me think OMG/WTF. You know, the ones you go back and listen to again because you can't quite believe what you just heard. I offer them up to share the weirdness. Of course, this post comes *coated in caveats* as my taste may differ greatly to yours... You can of course argue the case for any of these in the comments, feedback is always welcome. :)Next week I'm turning my attention to another of my passions - mashups.But back to the oddball covers:Original: The Beatles - A Hard Day's NightCovered by: SugarcultTracknotes: I love Sugarcult but this cover just doesn't do justice to the original. There is something funny about someone who sounds 12 singing 'I've been working like a dog...'.Original: Kylie - Confide In MeCovered by: Ben LeeTracknotes: Lee takes an interesting track and turns it downright creepy. His version sounds like it should be played to the girl you' ...

New Babyshambles Album 2007-09-12 10:55:00 The new Babyshambles album, Shotter's Nation, is due out on 01/10/07. Here's a taste:Babyshambles - There She Goes (A Little Heartache) Pete Doherty has one of the prettiest voices. I know he's a troubled soul (to put it kindly) but.::swoon::I really love this track. If you fancy pre-ordering Shotter's Nation then HMV have it for £8.99 while Amazon are offering CD+DVD for £14.99 - free delivery on both offers... ...

Catch A Groove... Virgin Radio Groove 2007-09-11 02:42:00 For the last couple of years I have been loving Virgin Groove - a radio station dedicated to playing soul, disco and motown and is available over the web. I don't listen to it every day or even every week but I love having the link in my favourites in case I've got a quiet afternoon in the office which a little soul music would help along... there's no commentary: just music, the details of the artist/title and a little trivia. You can download or buy most tracks. Perfect. It even shows the title of the track and artist name as the title of the internet window. Go to http://www.virginradio.co.uk/groove/listen.html and click the Listen Now link. When the new radio playing window opens there's a 'My settings' tab at the top right corner where you can switch between Windows Media and Flash Player. Groovy. ...

Zip Folders Of Mixes... 2007-09-10 11:43:00 Just to let you know guys, as of the Thursday Theme post this week all my scheduled posts will have a 'Give me the Zip' link at the end of them so you can (if you want) take everything in one cute, shiny zip folder. At the weekend I'll put up a post offering zips for all the posts so far.:) ...

Monday Mix #3 - 10/09/07 2007-09-10 05:15:00 Each Monday I'll be sharing (a lucky) 13 tracks that don't share a theme, they're just worth sharing. Obviously all of them are worth taking but just in case you're in a rush I'll flag the three you shouldn't leave without downloading in red and using a ***. :)This week I have for you -Track: Bat For Lashes - PrescillaTracknotes: A great new British act, recently nominated for the Mercury Prize and chosen as one of the artists in Thom Yorke's top ten itunes tracks. Imaginative arty indie stuff, this is the album version of this track rather than the re-released single version.Track: Starsailor - Poor Misguided Fool***Tracknotes: From 2002, indie that just hits another level when the piano comes in. 'You're just a poor misguided fool/Who thinks they know what I should do'. Starsailor are currently recording a new album, yay!Video: YouTube has the goods. This is from their Moscow gig at the start of the year.Track: Duran Duran - Nightrunner (ft. Timbaland and Justin Timberlake) ...

You Should Know... Zox 2007-09-08 06:15:00 Why you should know them: They are fine purveyors of "violin-laced reggae rock." There's ska in there. There's punk. There's reggae. There's a violin. It sounds like a musical nightmare but it is in fact damn fine stuff and you need to know they're out there, making the world a better place.Where they're from: Rhode Island. They met at university in 1999 and released their debut album Take Me Home in 2003. They won a local radio station's Annual Rock Hunt and it snagged them a new label and exposure. The second album The Wait came out in 2005 and they're currently making the eagerly awaited third which is due out early 2008.When they're touring: They're currently on tour in the US.What others are saying: "Their sound, inspired by reggae, fusion, dance, jazz, rock, and classical, twists and turns like a test-driven Testarossa. At times it has a laidback vibe...at others it leans into an electric, punk-fueled groove.It's never easy to predict where this stuff is going, but it ...

Britney Bashing... 2007-09-07 07:21:00 Two tracks from Britney's new album leaked last week followed by another three this week. I thought quite hard before posting this as I want this space to be positive but. It's just too easy to criticise the godawful, dull mess that is the comeback of Britney Spears. At her best she was bubblegum personified and worked the floor flawlessly. She's still working with talent (it's shocking that the guy who produced FutureSex/LoveSounds had anything to do with this) but she is singing lame lyrics over and over and over on most of these songs in a way that is damn near coma inducing. There's nothing to make you dance here. There's nothing to make you drum your fingers or want to hear anything else of the album. Even the T.I. remix of Gimme More (the first single planned for release) made my eyes glaze over 1:45 into it and it's a 4:36 track. I defy anyone to remember these tracks after one listen and a night's sleep. Cold As Fire is particularly awful with particularly laughable lyr ...