To catch the silence when it sings

The Tallest Man On Earth, as most of you already know, is a man (Kristian Matsson) I have fallen in love with over the past year or so. His brand of Swedish folk via Dylan and beautiful guitar work has left me with the shivers man atime over the past few months especially. Seeing him live at The End Of The Road Festival was a huge highlight of the weekend for me and his live show was definitely something to behold. Just one man, a guitar and that voice to keep the tent warm. He blew me away and he's been doing it ever since with his melodies and his poetry. So beautiful, wordy and honest in places that it brings me out in goosebumps. His debut album proper, 2008's Shallow Grave, has been keeping me warm over the Autumn nights and I have recently discovered a session he did for NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts. This video WILL make you sigh heavily and, if you listen closely to the words, make you fall head over heals in love.

The Tallest Man On Earth - NPR Tiny Desk Concert:

Chasing the stuffed rabbit around the track...

The Joy Formidable is a band I've been on about to all my friends, family and anyone who'll listen for ages. Their debut record, 'A Balloon Called Moaning', has been a staple of my musical diet during 2009 and harks back to rock and roll when it was darker, slightly more dirty and epic. Q Magazine recently described the band as being like My Bloody Valentine and Smashing Pumpkins. It's shoegaze with a pinch of grunge, never mind the build of sweeping guitars and vocals.

The Joy Formidable have released a brand new single in ainticipation of their live album, due later in the year. This new song, 'Greyhound In The Slips', sees the band team up with Mansun's Paul Draper for vocal duties and they get their rock on. It's classic Formidable, but there is a sense that the band have come a long way since their debut was released earlier in the year. The melodies are more prominent, for example, and it's less fuzzy, more epic. They are reaching for something bigger and the ambition shines, but doesn't flop. I can't wait to hear what a) the live record sounds like (recorded on tour this year) and b) what they do for the second record.

The Joy Formidable will be supporting Editors, Passion Pit and The Temper Trap on their UK tours this Autumn. Be sure to check them out. You should also head to the website to get details on that live record and the free download of the new single!

'Greyhounds In The Slips' video:

Spoiling us with remixes and excitements...

That's right, Johnny Foreigner spoil us. They've gone on tour and to celebrate it they've released a brand new EP full of new songs (and a few old ones) re-done in a dance-like stylee. You should be flattered, it's all for you and available from their website for free. That's right, I said FREE.

The EP features remixes from Sky Larkin, Los Campesinos! and more as well as being damn right brilliant from start to finish. If you like JoFo then you'll probably enjoy dancing about any room to their noise. This is noise for just that but not necessarily dance-able. The reworked tunes sounds great and I can't wait to hear what the real, studio versions sound like on their BRAND NEW SHINY RECORD which hits at the end of this month. You can pre-order it here.

My favourite from the EP has to be the rework from Tom Campesinos!. The brand new single, 'Criminals', gets the treatment and it's downright marvellous. Go forth and dance to it like a goon. It's worth it. I'll be playing it to death until the new record comes to my doorstep.

Johnny Foreigner are touring a few more places and then the new album 'Grace And The Bigger Picture' comes out on the 26th October in the UK. You should get on that. I'm excited about it already. It's just too much, guys. We're spoilt!

What would you do if I sang out of tune?

Joe Cocker at Woodstock, anyone? It doesn't get better than this when it comes to covers than are better than the originals (I will often tell you that The Beatles version is probably one of my most hated Beatles songs; I very rarely listen to it all the way through). This is the definitive version of the Joe Cocker version of the song. Yes, Ringo tried to sing the original, well, Joe Cocker has one of my favourite rock and roll voices and here is why. I don't really have a reason for posting it other than it felt right to do so, Woodstock was 40 years old last month and I think some of you will benefit from either seeing it again or seeing it full stop.

Best Beatles cover ever? Oooh. Maybe, just maybe.

I've been feeling like my old self again...

Cory Chisel. A man I just discovered through the wonders of Brendan Benson. The announcement that Chisel will be supporting Benson on his next UK tour, has led me to the interwebs to find out more. Turns out that Chisel is Benson but with added religion and Springsteen comparisons. The Springsteen comparisons aren't misplaced, either. He really does sound like Springsteen in his younger, more depressing days (try listening to 'Nebraska'). The video that I found and I thought I'd share with you is of Cory Chisel and the Wandering Sons single 'Born Again'. Co-written by Brendan Benson and featuring the cameos of members from The Raconteurs and My Morning Jacket. If this isn't impressive enough for you then you should simply drag your mouse over to that 'PLAY' button and watch every last second of this lovely little video. Yes, I think that might just be the medicine you're after. Listen closely to the lyrics, you might just fall for him.

The End Of The Road

I spent the last weekend at what I believe to be the best and most civilised festival in the UK right now: End Of The Road Festival in Dorset. Granted, it's a long way to go for a festival when you don't have wheels (a car). We travelled by train, which was fairly easy if not a little tiring and the festival organisation made it much better than you'd expect. It was actually a joy to travel hundreds of miles on several trains and a coach.

The trains being a mess meant that I missed most of Friday and we did have a tent to put up, so we definitely missed some great acts due to our organisation skills (or lack thereof). However, first band we did manage to catch - a band called Spokes - were very impressive. I'd not heard about them before and they put on a great show. Think epic rock music without being too whiney (I'm looking at you, Snow Patrol). It was a nice way to kick off the weekend's events and we followed it was a soft-rockin' set from Vetiver. I know it sounds unlikely, but they did really get the crowd dancing. Those harmonies helped me drift off to sleep and I missed Explosions In The Sky on the main stage. Never mind, getting up at 7am takes it out of me.

The long, restless sleep of Friday night faded into Saturday all too quickly and I was up and about in the gardens again. The sun was blistering by midday and we headed over to the main stage to see whoever and whatever happened to adorn it. The band that we were treated to were the lovely (if not a wee bit twee) Leisure Society and their cover of 'Something' by The Beatles started my Saturday perfectly. We took in some sunshine, some ridiculously nice organic food and then headed back to The Garden Stage to see The Low Anthem (their second set of the weekend, I missed Friday's set in the smaller tent). I can only say good things. They blew me away. Although there were clearly nervous to be on such a huge stage in front of quite a large crowd, they did well and performed beautifully under pressure. The highlights included 'Charlie Darwin', 'Cage The Songbird' and 'To The Ghosts Who Write History Books' all including passionate harmonies, great melodies and such a relaxing beats that you couldn't help but drift off in the sunshine. Pure bliss.

Later on the Saturday we headed into the Big Top Tent to see Dent May and his Ukulele play a storming set - everyone was dancing about and nodding their heads to the tunes that May was thumping out on his trusty uke. He got quite the reception. Lots of fun. After Dent left the stage, Mr. Malcolm Middleton hit the stage for half an hour. I have, of course, seen him this year already and he was fantastic, but this set was different and Malcolm was airing a few oldies. We got treated to my favourite Middleton number, 'Blue Plastic Bags' from 'Sleight Of Heart'. We were also rocking out to the title track from 2007's 'A Brighter Beat'. They turned him up loud on the sound desk and everyone was stomping along. Great set mixing old and new. Best set of the day by far.

In the evening, after yet more gorgeous food, we headed over to watch Okkervil River play the main stage. They were ready to rock and played a lot of the happier stuff from their catalogue. They ended their brief set with a killer version of 'Unless It's Kicks' from their record 'The Stage Names' and almost everyone around me was smiling and tapping their feet (about as rock and roll as it gets). Then the headliners and the set that everyone was buzzing about this weekend: Fleet Foxes. The field was so rammed that over half of the festival attendees were in there. The band played a great set, but I couldn't help feeling it was more hype than substance this time around. The band seemed ill-at-ease and the on stage banter came across as a little forced. I cannot complain about the music, though. Those harmonies were spot on. It sent shivers down my spine when they started 'Drops In The River' and when Robin Pecknold came on in the encore to do 'Oliver James'. Beautiful way to end to Saturday.

Sunday was the big day for me. The day I was most excited about and, of course, had the best line-up of sets. We started the day with an incredible set from The Tallest Man On Earth. Just one Swede and an acoustic guitar. He brought tears to my eyes and his rendition of 'Sparrow And The Medicine' melted my very soul. I urge you all to check out this wonderful little man's work. After that wonderful set, we headed out for lunch and a nap. I went to watch Magnolia Electric Co. and they were pretty damn good. I wasn't expecting too much. I was tired and I don't know a lot of the band's stuff. But they rocked the Garden Stage and got my head bobbing. Nice to see a proper band rock out. Post- EMC I got a bit excited: Steve Earle was on next and he lived up to all the hype. ALL OF IT. The man may have had a drug problem, been in prison and had seven wives, but his honesty and songwriting was simply spot on for this festival. His on-stage banter between songs was self-depricating, witty and interesting. I don't think I took my eyes off him the entire time. Stunning.

Neko Case was up next, I know most of her work from The New Pornographers. Her voice is one of my favourites of the past few years. Her solo work, of course, is definitely worth checking out and her songwriting has been getting better and better. Her set at End Of The Road was full of banter with headliners The Hold Steady, lots of harmonies, soaring voals and guitar skills. She joked that she was soft-rockin' The Hold Steady off the stage before they'd even hit it. She did a damn good job of trying, to say the very least.

Then it was the big deal. The BIG ONE: The Hold Steady headlining the main stage on the Sunday night. I had been looking forward to this for way too long. It's so long I needn't mention it. The band came out guns -blazin' and opened with a great rendition of 'Constructive Summer'. It was just enough to get the crowd jumping and flailing. Into a set that barely stopped for breath they went. We were treated to a couple of new songs, 'Our Whole Lives' being the one that stood out best with another EPIC guitar solo from Kubler. The golden oldies like 'The Swish' got everyone around me dancing, waving their arms in the arms and bouncing about. This was already a massive night and they'd hardly started. The last track, of course, 'Killer Parties', was perfect in every way and I swear that seeing this band play live gets more like a religious experience every time. It was the perfect end to the weekend. I can't wait for next year!

"If she said we partied / Then I'm pretty sure we partied"

Please enjoy this mix of the best bits that I made using 8tracks:

They've sold you out! They've sold you out!

Johnny Foreigner, writers of one of my favourite records of last year, have just put up a new single for you to go and have a listen to on their Myspace. I can reveal that it has the same raucous guitars, shouty boy-girl vocals and a chorus that will have you hooked after the first listen. It's catchy, it's fun and I'm excited about it.

'Criminals' will be available for digital download from October 12th. You should all buy it because it's great and you get lots of great things with it. Head to Bloggy Foreinger for the latest from Lex, Jun and Kelly. They're always updating progress on the new record (with a bit of random chitter chatter in between, which I adore because most of it is hilarious).

So Birmingham's best are back in action. I can't wait to hear the rest of the record. 'Criminals' is so very, very good.

Head to the band's offical website to download their Summer EP which features such lovely guitar-based wonders and this and more. Definitely worth signing up for.