When On! Air! Library! broke up it didn't take long for its main protagonists to set up shop elsewhere. The new incarnation is Daylight's For The Birds, which originally included both Philip Wann and Claudia Deheza. While Claudia's role has diminished since her move to A Cloud Mireya she has nonetheless left a gem of a performance on 'For Now'. Although presented here at demo stage it is has a swirling geniality that will create a lot of goodwill for the group. The are nods to a less frenetic Lush here which can only be a good thing. With Claudia gone Amanda Garrett has become the bands new singer and you can find ample evidence of her talent on the bands myspace page. With 12 full songs recorded Daylight's For The Birds debut album is expected this autumn, expect a grand affair. KD

Daylight's For The Birds - For Now

More Info: Daylight's For The Birds
Buy Album: [UK] Autumn [US] Fall
Year: 2006

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That Beirut post had me thinking about the Divine Comedy and how they used to rattle my cage before Hannon lost the run of himself and sold his posh arse to commercialism (or putting it another way, he set off in a direction that did nothing for me). For a time in the late nineties he was quite the celebrity, at least in Ireland and the UK. If you rewind back a little to his early days you'll hear a young man with fresh ideas who could easily sit on a bill that included My Bloody Valentine. Not that he ever flooded the speakers with unspeakably beautiful feedback (although 'Lucy' had a decent twang) but his daring approach not only went against the grain but supported melodies aplenty. 'Tonight We Fly' might have forecast some of this future hits ('Something For The Weekend') but nothing in his later career could match the hopeless optimism of this cherishable beauty. Galloping with a pool of instruments in tow it could send a shudder down the spine of even the most inactive of continental plates. Gather together a group of your oldest friends, hold hands and dance a grown up ring-a-rosy. KD

The Divine Comedy - Tonight We Fly

More Info: The Divine Comedy
Buy the Divine Comedy's: [UK] Promenade [US] A Secret History
Year: 1994

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And out on the west wing a mad young Zach Condon spins his baroque ditties with a cast that includes junk store accordions, beat up trumpets and his own surreptitious voice. Nar a guitar in sight but who cares when the lad can pull off a swankier Neil Hannon than well, er Neil Hannon. His new album is out now and is called 'Gulag Orkestar' and it's all his own wonderful creation save for a passenger from a sky mobile that's currently over a body of water. 'Postcards From Italy' is already bigger than the skin of my yellow country teeth out there in the land of blog and much of the new album will follow suit. 'Mount Wroclai' is as daft as it is mouth openingly impressive, swinging about with enough nuances to ensure that Tom Cruise is at this moment trying to turn it into a movie. KD

Beirut - Mount Wroclai

More Info: Beirut
Buy Album: [UK] Gulag Orkestar [US] Gulag Orkestar
Year: 2006

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You can count the number of great post-rock bands on a single hand. Tis' a shame really because at its best the genre can be genuinely moving. There are a number of nearly men inhabiting the fringes (Japan's Mono for one), capable of creating a stir but not striking enough to be wholly feted. EF fit snugly into this group. Their intense instrumentation demands attention but they so obviously live and breath Explosions In The Sky's lush template that it slightly tempers the flavour. That said, 'Ett' is a touching piece of music full of opulent atmosphere. It may not have a burning core but the freeform procession never sounds as if the ideas are being stretched for effect. Early days yet and this is a bright beginning for the Swedish band. If they can find a perch of their own (their debut album is on the way) they have the potential to hoist a harvest of spectral delights upon us. KD

Ef - Ett

More Info: Ef
Buy Album: Give me beauty...Or give me death
Year: 2006

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After succumbing to Hopewell's latest vision nobody could be surprised that the ubiquitous Dave Fridmann sat in on production duties. And the Mercury Rev connections only begin there, as lead singer Jason Russo was a long time member of the Rev, departing following the tour to promote 'Deserter's Songs'. Russo's voice retains an impressive falsetto for nearly the entire misleadingly titled epic 'Synthetic Symphony'. Everything about the song is impressive, the production is lush, the instrumentation is layered with a precise eye and Russo's vocal melodies soar and swoop with the audacity of a pilot at the Paris air show. Yep, it is heartbreaking stuff, a million miles away from the faux dramatics of Keane or dare I say it (current album) Coldplay. Take solace though, the fact that Hopewell are not selling millions is to our benefit, as they have to try harder on each subsequent release to further prise away our delicate blood-pumping organ from its already gasping frame. KD

Hopewell - Synthetic Symphony

More Info: Hopewell
Buy Album: [UK] Hopewell and the Birds of Appetite [US] Hopewell & the Birds of Appetite
Year: 2005

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How has Bic Runga escaped the evil clutches of the world's collective ear? The New Zealander has seemingly everything going for her. Her DIY ethic is almost as astonishing as her voice, which has become something of a national institution in her homeland. I remember travelling there in 2002 and her 'Get Some Sleep' clogged the airwaves. Not that we were complaining because it's as towering as Mt. Cook, that revels in Runga's grasp on sumptuous harmonies. With a third album ('Birds' with Neil Finn of Crowded House performing bit parts) in the offing perhaps there is hope yet, but it seems astonishing that her inclusion on the American Pie soundtrack ('Sway') didn't create a frenzy amongst the curious. Runga is about to take off on a UK/Ireland tour so now could be the time to redress a near criminal lack of attention. KD

Bic Runga - Get Some Sleep

More Info: Bic Runga
Buy Bic Runga's: [UK] Beautiful Collision [US] Beautiful Collision
Year: 2002

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Are there many songs that describe the magical feeling of falling in (or out of) love in a garden? Not many I'd warrant but then qr5 ain't your average band. The Toronto based collective have taken the unusual step (in today’s retro-riff-heavy climate) of blending reggae with a savvy pop sensibility. While this might be some people's idea of torture, qr5 twist the genres so satisfyingly you hardly notice the laidback grooves (mon). A lot of credit must go to Matthew Maaskant's singing, which is as pure as it is soothing. Behind him, the band churns a delicate magic that never intrudes on the singers' utterances merely bolsters the songs easygoing charms. Whether it will send single people the world over down the garden path remains to be seen, but it should signal that qr5's time has well and truly arrived. KD

qr5 - Revisited Gone

More Info: Official Site & Myspace
Buy qr5's: Pharmakon
Year: 2006

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With the advent of their new deal with XL Recordings (once the home to dance pioneers but now pulling in trendy indie so and so's like the Raconteurs) Tapes 'n Tapes are about to enter an exciting new phase. Certainly the goods are there to be exploited because their debut 'The Loon' is an eclectic masterpiece. This isn't an easy thrill, however, there is a little bit of work required to uncover its magical ways but it's well worth the effort. A good starting point is the double-jointed 'Manitoba' with its guitar trinkets, melancholic vocals and the wonderful twist, which sees the melodrama instantly replaced by a frenetic shakedown. This is a song that our grandchildren will rightly hail as testament that grubby old shoes was once able to see the wood from the trees. KD

Tapes 'n Tapes - Manitoba

More Info: Tapes 'n Tapes
Buy Album: The Loon
Year: 2005

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When Umlaut broke up late last year it didn't take the bands lead singer (Dan) long to find his feet with a new band called the Situationists. Showing a remarkable zeal and the gift for presenting a contemporary sound in seconds flat here is another Sheffield band that could be cutting it on student dancefloors before too long. 'Under The Pavement, The Beach' boasts a solid riff and Dan's cosily familiar vocals (Robert Smithesque) which means it could ingratiate itself quite rapidly onto its audience of choice. If this is what the band can come up with in a couple of months then by the time their debut album comes around certain other Sheffield monkeys could find themselves out in the cold. KD

The Situationists - Under The Pavement, The Beach

More Info: The Situationists
Year: 2006

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Sambassadeur are yet another great band to emerge from the Swedish Labrador record label. As you'd expect from such fine purveyors of melodic pop Sambassadeur cast a net that comes complete with plenty of hooks, sweet chirping guitars and a singer with her own unique take on how ethereal should sound. The band have only been on the go for 3 years but in that time they ave released several EP's, a couple of CD-R's and a swish self titled LP. 'Between The Lines' is taken from the latter and focuses on gently persuading the listener into a motion that closely resembles a sway. Some have even been known to fall asleep while innocently taking in its harmony enriched rays. KD

Sambassadeur - Between The Lines

More Info: Sambassadeur
Buy Album: [UK] Sambassadeur [US] Sambassadeur
Year: 2005

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This is turning into a bit of a Denton afternoon as Calla's origins can be traced back to the Factory Press who were based in the Texan town. That band repaired to NYC and promptly broke up with Calla forming out of its ashes. Calla released their fourth LP 'Collisions' last year and 'It Dawned On Me' was a single taken from it. The song could be described as Interpol meets the Dandy Warhols (circa 'Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia') and it is characterised by some seriously spiky guitars. Aurelio Valle has indie cool dripping from his lips and even though his band are not going to change the world their music certainly deserves its place in the upper echelons of the indiepop hierarchy. KD

Calla - It Dawned On Me

More Info: Calla
Buy Album: [UK] Collisions [US] Collisions
Year: 2005

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Midlake are in Europe as we speak, lining up beside the Flaming Lips and the Earlies until the end of June. Those enamoured by the histrionics of the Lips might be surprised by Midlake's concentration on the music and not the opera. 'Roscoe' has been traversing the blogosphere for months now, splashing its retro leanings far and wide. The opening always reminds of the theme music from a 70's cop show that I can't quite remember the name of. Tim Smith's vocals are perfectly adept at reconvening the sound of the time; they have an earthy quality that is really soothing. The guitars chug with such an air of authority you may be scratching your head as to how this band has so far fallen below the mainstream radar. The track included here comes from the bands debut 'Bamnan and Silvercork' and will be a delight for those who gore on Grandaddy's slightly skewed melodic dalliances. With it the band suggest that if they open their collective curiosity box the world would surely fawn. Midlake come from the same town in Texas that gave us the spectral Explosions In The Sky (both signed to Bella Union) and their soon to be released The Trials of Van Occupanther could soon be occupying the same spot in your heart that creates those EITS excitable shivers. KD

Midlake - Kingfish Pies

More Info: Official Midlake & Myspace Midlake
Buy Album: [UK] Bamnan and Silvercork [US] Bamnan and Slivercork
Year: 2004

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A serious case of writers block meant there was a 3-year gap between Gemma Hayes albums. Her debut 'Night On My Side' received a Mercury Music Prize nomination in 2002 but the wait for the follow up culled some of the artist's momentum. Despite making all the right noises the jury still seems to be out on the extent of her talent. You'd have to wonder whether there is really that much of interest lurking underneath the undoubted production sheen. Many of the songs on her sophomore effort are of such a similar ilk that by the end the glee is eroded. That said, from time to time the Tipperary girl hits the nail on the head. Like on 'Two Step' that recalls early career Alanis Morissette. Bolshie and strong willed with a beautifully delivered chorus 'Two Step' is a triumph. The song plays effortlessly and perhaps signposts where Hayes could yet prosper. KD

Gemma Hayes - Two Step

More Info: Gemma Hayes
Buy Album: [UK] The Roads Don't Love You [US] The Roads Don't Love You
Year: 2005

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