This series is put out by an Austrian label, but has a strong international focus, with only a few Austrian acts scattered across the two cds making up Find Shelter. The word here is 'indie', with a focus on the ethereal (especially when a girl's singing) and the lugubrious (more often for the boy vocals), many of the songs displaying a bit of a folk flavour and a number of others not shying away from the mildly epic. Most of the artists are new to me - the main reason I bought this was in the hopes of discovering some new music - but the whole set's pretty listenable.
Current favourites:
* "Lie in the Sound" - Trespassers William. The single most ethereal track across the whole set, and the best, "Lie in the Sound" is simply gorgeous, a dreamy Mazzy Star-Camera Obscura styled floater that also reminds me of Mira in its rising and falling starriness.
* "Room" - Nive Nielsen & Deer Children. Another entrant in the surprising little sub-genre of Scandinavian americana (see also First Aid Kit, Baskery) - though Nielsen hails from Greenland rather than Sweden - "Room" reminds me of Laura Veirs' more haunted folk-pop explorations, flowing along on Nielsen's expressive, controlled voice, a slowly plucked banjo, and a lovely melody.
* "Merci De Rien Du Tout" - Marianne Dissard. And another americana blend - this one taking significant elements of the French chanson (in fact, it leans more on that latter than on the prairie widescreen elements in its background). Dissard's intimate vocals sell the song and the idea; google tells me that she did the girl vocals on Calexico's classic "Ballad of Cable Hogue", which entirely fits.
* "Landslide" - Unbunny. Strummy, wavering-guitary, left of centre singer-songwriter tune which lodges in the head on first listen and stays there.
And others that have particularly stood out:
* "Fly Butter Fly" - Ping Ping
* "Pigeons" - Page France
* "Swim Until You Can't See Land" - Frightened Rabbit
* "Fortune Teller" - Forest Fire
* "Come Out" - Kristofer Astrom
* "The Washington DC" - Mexican Elvis
* "What's Out There" - Nina Nastasia
* "My Beloved" - Scout Niblett
Current favourites:
* "Lie in the Sound" - Trespassers William. The single most ethereal track across the whole set, and the best, "Lie in the Sound" is simply gorgeous, a dreamy Mazzy Star-Camera Obscura styled floater that also reminds me of Mira in its rising and falling starriness.
* "Room" - Nive Nielsen & Deer Children. Another entrant in the surprising little sub-genre of Scandinavian americana (see also First Aid Kit, Baskery) - though Nielsen hails from Greenland rather than Sweden - "Room" reminds me of Laura Veirs' more haunted folk-pop explorations, flowing along on Nielsen's expressive, controlled voice, a slowly plucked banjo, and a lovely melody.
* "Merci De Rien Du Tout" - Marianne Dissard. And another americana blend - this one taking significant elements of the French chanson (in fact, it leans more on that latter than on the prairie widescreen elements in its background). Dissard's intimate vocals sell the song and the idea; google tells me that she did the girl vocals on Calexico's classic "Ballad of Cable Hogue", which entirely fits.
* "Landslide" - Unbunny. Strummy, wavering-guitary, left of centre singer-songwriter tune which lodges in the head on first listen and stays there.
And others that have particularly stood out:
* "Fly Butter Fly" - Ping Ping
* "Pigeons" - Page France
* "Swim Until You Can't See Land" - Frightened Rabbit
* "Fortune Teller" - Forest Fire
* "Come Out" - Kristofer Astrom
* "The Washington DC" - Mexican Elvis
* "What's Out There" - Nina Nastasia
* "My Beloved" - Scout Niblett
