Since we first heard them in March we have been bowled over by the band known as Mondo Cozmo. Having recently caught them live, we hereby certify that they are the real damn deal. Their songs are anthemic, affecting and ageless, and will take you back and aback. Today is the day that the world finally has access to their phenomenal debut album Plastic Soul on Republic Records, and you can buy/stream it HERE. It is easily our Best Debut Album of 2017, and will contend mightily for Best Album of 2017 (with other stalwarts such as Feist, Broken Social Scene, Elbow, Spoon and others to come). Do yourselves a favor and go marvel at Plastic Soul.

If you haven’t heard them or seen them live, and want an appropriate intro, you can stream their set today at Lollapalooza HERE at 11:50 am Pacific time. If you need a quick fix, can also watch the just-released video for single Automatic below.

For a good explique on Mondo Cozmo and interview with leader Joshua Ostrander, you can go over to Buzzbands.LA HERE, and read how Ostrander took 15 years to become an overnight success.

It was just over a year ago that we were finally introduced to Hundred Waters. Thanks to Chance The Rapper and his (and Skrillex’s) joining Hundred Waters on the Colbert Show for a simmering live remix of Hundred Waters‘ fantastic song Show Me Love.

Fast forward to today when Hundred Waters is prepping the release of their second album, Communicating, on September 14th. You can listen to the album’s first single, Blanket Me, below. Based on Blanket Me alone, you know Hundred Waters means serious business with this new offering, which is thematically a break-up-within-band album. Blanket Me is a builder of immense proportions, with dynamism and gravitas immersed under the song’s incantatory lyrics and seeming simplicity. We can’t stop hitting the repeat button.

Some singers are able to take ostensibly simple lyrics and imbue them with far more weight than they may deserve on paper. Such is the case with Nicole Miglis. On Blanket Me she repeats the phrase “blanket me” incessantly, but in so doing manages to convey all possible meanings of the phrase via her nuanced, affecting approach. Brava!

Bring on Communicating!

Back in the day, the beloved Belle & Sebastian and The Clientele duked it out for Brit-pop supremacy. Both bands came out strong following the treacly dust-up, with The Clientele showing a heady discography (including personal fave God Save The Clientele). Now comes the good news that The Clientele will release new album Music for the Age of Miracles on Merge on September 22nd (their first new album in seven years).

To get a feel, check out below the recent lyric video for outstanding song Lunar Days off the album. According to the band, the video depicts London’s Russell Square at twilight and “things on the edge of sight.” The song is classic Clientele, all wrapped up in atmospherics, shimmering sounds, a sprightly melody and surrealistic, très-Brit lyrical visage (the holloways in America are few and far between). Winsome nuances include the vocal inflection in the “nobody hears” lyric and the subtle “ah, woo woo” vocal-accents. In short: we love it. Makes us want to curl up by a fire on a rainy day and binge The Clientele’s entire catalog.

You can pre-order Music for the Age of Miracles HERE. The band will tour in the fall (including nine shows total in the U.S. and California in November) behind the album. Check out the dates HERE.

We have written once before of the revolving 5th graders at PS22 in Staten Island, NY and their director Gregg Breinberg. According to the PS22 Chorus page: “PS22 Chorus was formed in the year 2000. We are an ever-changing group of 5th graders from a public elementary school in Staten Island…. PS22 Chorus just features ordinary children achieving extraordinary accomplishments — musically and otherwise. PS22 Chorus has been featured on…the 2011 Academy Awards, closing the show with a stunning rendition of “Somewhere of Over The Rainbow.” The chorus has performed for President Obama, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Stevie Nicks and a host of others. The kids have sung with Katy Perry, Queen Latifah, Tori Amos…and many more….”

We were caught off guard recently when Sufjan Stevens himself posted the video below of the PS22 kids completely nailing his heart Blue Bucket of Gold (lyrics below). We in particular love the high “ohs” in the “chorus.” Raise your right hand!  Beauty, right there. Stevens wrote: “The world is abundant. This gives me hope.” We completely concur.

Now if we could just get some enterprising California grade school choir director to have California kids sing California Stars (by Wilco/Billy Bragg/Woody Guthrie), we’d really have something. Paging choir directors, hello?

“My blue bucket of gold
Friend, why don’t you love me?
Once the myth has been told
The lens deforms it as lightning

Raise your right hand
Tell me you want me in your life
Or raise your red flag
Just when I want you in my life

Search for things to extol
Friend, the fables delight me
My blue bucket of gold
Lord, touch me with lightning

Raise your right hand
Tell me you want me in your life
Or raise your red flag
Just when I want you in my life”