#181 – Jesca Hoop’s Got A Free Song For You

Jesca Hoop, showing off a pretty sweet hat

It’s all in the title really… Jesca Hoop, the Northern Californian girl living in Manchester whose music Tom Waits described as “like going swimming in a lake at night”, is giving away a song over at her website for free. All you need to do is enter your email and then BAM!, you can be the proud new owner of her latest song ‘Born To’.

It’s from her upcoming album called The House That Jack Built,

#171 – Songs From Our Mailbag

We get loads of music to listen to every week (which we like) and a good chunk of it is really good (which we really like). Unfortunately it’s impossible to put everything we like up, but we’ll have a crack. Here are five songs from signed and unsigned acts that have ended up in the Safety, Fun & Learning inbox this week.

#135 – Lucy Rose ‘Red Face’

Hello all. As many of you may know, and perhaps many may not, there is a wonderful talent out there by the name of Lucy Rose. She first caught my ear doing backing vocals on Bombay Bicycle Club’s A Different Kind Of Fix (although she apparently helped a little on Flaws too) and I was intrigued. Having heard the radio DJ say her name, I promptly forgot it until this popped up on my Twitter feed. It’s just come out and it’s a wonderful pop record. If you’re a fan of Laura Marling, Feist and others of that ilk then you will most definitely like it, although Lucy Rose brings something new to the table. Whereas Marling is often praised for sounding wise beyond her years, Rose seems perfectly happy to enjoy being young.

Lucy Rose – Red Face [Buy from iTunes]

Podcast V

"I'm being serious now. Listen to it."

After yet another long wait, here is the newest podcast for you. It’s got music from Asa, Cults and Zakee, among others. You can click on the links below to go to their respective pages and you can also listen to the songs on their own.

Safety, Fun & Learning Podcast #5 [Download]

#113 – Joe Goddard – Gabriel

#91 – Gotye

Wally de Backer is Gotye.

Since being back I’ve had one of his songs from his (not yet out) new album on almost constant repeat, in part because of it’s superb production and in part because of the vocals of Kimbra, who features on the track. It’s a little bit of a break-up song, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. Both his and her singing are spot on and the song grows and grows into something rather delightful. It’s got a pretty good video too.

Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know Feat. Kimbra

#85 – Oh Land

Oh Land, the name Nanna Øland Fabricius performs under, is a real treat. She reminds me quite a lot of compatriots The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, although she is less influenced by the seventies (not hard, really). ‘Wolf & I’ is moody, swirling and for some reason it reminds me a Lauryn Hill song I liked when I was about 8. Not sure why! It has also got some proper bass on it. If you’ve got good headphones/speakers it’s great fun.

Oh Land – Wolf & I [Buy]

While ‘Wolf & I’ is very enjoyable, there’s something about this next song that makes it stand out.

Music For Horses no. 19

Chairlift // Feist

It has been a really long time since we’ve done an update on this playlist. Been slacking lately with my chilled music listening, largely because things haven’t really been chilled. Then I was listening to my iPod on shuffle and this song came on. Yes, it may be three years old now, but who cares?! With a vocal that pretty and a bassline that fun it is a cracker. And you can just close your eyes and imagine you’re somewhere so much nicer than wherever you are right now. Unless you’re already somewhere nice. In which case just enjoy the damn song.

Chairlift – Bruises [Buy]

Unusually, this installment is going to be two ‘Indie’ songs… no remixes in sight.

Music For Horses no. 7

Quantic / Cut Copy

First up is a song by Quantic, but that’s not why I’ve chosen it. For me it is all about the girl singing on this song, Alice Russell. She’s got an amazingly old sounding voice that sounds like it could be on a track from Motown in its heyday. It’s soft and sultry with a bit of smokeyness to it. As it is, the song itself is pretty damned good too. I’m also a big fan of the banjo in it.

Quantic – So Long Feat. Alice Russell