Glass Animals - Leaflings EP

Recently, I had a greatly enjoyable time visiting Gathering, a brilliant one day festival in Oxford. It really was splendid. I saw several acts for the first time. Three of these, Karima Francis, Luke Sital-Singh and The Staves, have become instant favourites of mine. All of them have great recent releases which I am still enjoying devouring. I would heartily recommend you check them all out.

BUT, one of the biggest surprises of the day for me were Glass Animals. I'll be honest, by the time their set began, I had pretty much had enough. A one-day festival can lead you into a kind of musical overload after a while, and their set wasn't helped by the venue they found themselves in (basically a rather crusty community centre). However, even with my relative lack of attention, it was pretty obvious that something special was going on here. The indie-leaning synths, and strongly bass-driven grooves of the songs offered the tantalising sense that something special was going on here.

Pleasingly, the "Leaflings" EP" provides substance and clarity to these thoughts. Every song here is basically great. Cocoa Hooves (Parts 1 and 2) are both sumptuous, glacial grooves, bursting with melody and vibe. Golden Antlers takes its time, with flecks and flourishes aplenty. Closing with the equally impressive Dust In Your Pocket, probably the highlight of the EP, this is a great new discovery. A good example of why you shouldn't judge a band on first hearing, this is one of my favourite Eps of 2012. Check it out.

Enjoy the video for Cocoa Hooves below and hear the potential greatness for yourself.

Sound Supp.ly Drop 5

I haven't posted much here for a while. One of the last times was celebrating the last, great, drop from Sound Supp.ly, Drop 4. Well, it seems that two months have passed, and another drop has around 8 days until it is removed once again. If you are as yet unaware of what happens here, basically the deal is amazing. 10 albums, for $15 (£9.50) which you can get from here. What is even better about this latest drop is that it features incredible new albums from Circa Survive, Pswingset and John Frusciante. Yes, he is the one from Red Hot Chilli Peppers. This is a high quality set of releases, with some wonderful new acts for us all to discover. And so you should. Now.

If you need more incentive to do so, watch this:

The Good The Bad "034"

The Good The Bad were one of my favourite musical discoveries of last year. I was pleasantly surprised earlier on today to receive news from their PR that they have returned with a new album. It doesn't seem five minutes since the last one to be honest, but who am I to quibble. This is one of the "funnest" bands in Europe. No doubt. If you want the evidence of the continued growth and greatness of these instrumental genii, watch the video for new single "034" below.

'034' (The Film) by The Good The Bad from The Good The Bad on Vimeo.

Sound Supp.ly Drop 4

It's that time again, Sound Supp.ly is back. This time with drop four. Included this time are brilliant albums from Civil Twilight, Kevin Devine, Conduits, Mansions and LA Dispute, amongst a whole heap of others. As I write this, there are six and a half days left to download these five albums, and five more, for only $15 (that's just under £9.50). This year I've found Sound Supp.ly to be the best way to discover new music in affordable, legal way, in which artists get properly paid for their work. Definitely worth supporting, whether you do it bi-monthly like I do, or pay $75 for an annual subscription.

3 Car Pile Up - Find Love

I'll write more about this later, but for now, just download the new EP from 3 Car Pile Up, a recently reformed 90s alternative band, featuring Josh Stump, a friend of mine. Josh is one of the funniest and insightful people I know. His band is brilliant.