Recent observations.

Firstly: This Sunday from 8pm on Radio 1 my friend's band The Wild Mercury Sound will be on Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw's show, Switch. They're a really good young band with punctuating lyrics to a Libertines/Maccabees type sound. Check them out here.

Secondly: Recently I found myself at The Wilmington Arms in Clerkenwell and saw Arthur Delaney play, he has a Bob Dylan grasp of anti-folk that's really lovely to listen to. I suggest you try him out here. Photo above.

Thirdly: Last Summer at Latitude festival Ida Maria failed to turn up on stage and instead a band came on that at the time I wrongly recorded as being Fran Farley. But then last month they came back onto my radar in the form of Fanfarlo and I think they'll probably remain there for a good while. This is Ghosts by Fanfarlo. It's Beirut type-sque... 

Fourthly: This next song's vox are a bit disturbing but the song itself is pretty catchy... Ganache - In Pidgin. 

Fifthly: Two great remixes; Drake - Lets Call It Off (feat. Peter Bjorn & John) and Friendly Fires - Skeleton Boy (Air France Remix).

.x.

Snow and this music has made me so happy.

So there's a record label called Neon Gold who only started up last Autumn. With Passion Pit being their first artist on the books and Marina and The Diamonds being their second to release material (14th February to be exact), it looks like they're going to have quite an influence on this year's music.

This is what they're proposing next:

Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work

They were on itunes' unsigned 2008 mix and now seem not to be! UpUpUpbeat indie.

Ellie Goulding - Guns + Horses

In 2008 FrankMusik aided on a tune of hers called "Wish I Stayed". It was sweet sweet electroacoustic pop to my ears. Here's another serving.

Otherwise,

Gustaf Spetz is playing on my ipod a lot. A while ago I referenced to him as a more melodic MIKA or something like that. Well either he's evolved or I just really like MIKA. Anyhow, he's moved away from simple pop to a stronger drumbeat and steady harmonies. He's also Swedish. I like Swedes. Music-wise.

Gustaf Spetz - Burn it, Crush it, Smash it

I don't know whether I've posted this band up before (terrible memory) but Say Hi -November Was White, December Was Grey is another song that is following me around.

Happy Snowball fighting. x.