his new album has been credited with sticking with the same old thing: soft-spoken vocals and delicate strums with the occasional rocker or two. and i can't lie. it does just that. but honestly, i could care less. ray's voice makes up for anything ever lost in his recordings. i'd like to see him do a few more rockers, but aside from that, my critiques are few and far between. with that said, this album makes my ears burn. makes me yearn. for what? i know not, but sir lamontagne delivers. i'll include two of my favorites. listen for the sex sounds in "henry..."

ray lamontagne - henry nearly killed me (it's a shame)

ray lamontagne - winter birds.

autumn mix.

an autumnal mix for the autumnal weather. i always treasure this time of year. and what's better than music that induces the feeling? nothing. yeah, nothing. this is my interpretation of this time of year. and i even put it in alphabetical order to avoid favorites. then again, they're all favorites... enjoy.

a.a. bondy - world without end.

amos lee - ease back.

bowerbirds - olive hearts.

bon iver - for emma.

deertick - ashamed.

donovan woods - she belongs to me (bob dylan cover).

fleet foxes - your protector.

horse feathers - working poor.

iron and wine - the trapeze swinger.

josh ritter - the temptation of adam.

paleo - three stops to the big dream i dream.

phosphorescent - wolves.

right away, great captain! - me and julio down by the schoolyard (simon and garfunkel cover).

he's not french, just his name is.

taken from the purposely misspelled french for "good winter," bon iver is the brainchild of justin vernon, who has gotten numerous accolades for his latest release, for emma, forever ago. to see this as yet another singer-songwriter is easy to do, but only if you've not actually heard the album. vernon sequestered himself in a cabin for three months after the break-up of his long-term band. while wondering through his snowy abyss, he found himself doing the household chores required to keep warm and singing his songs.

these songs ended up being the nine wonderful compositions found on the lp. he sings the majority of the album in falsetto, which gives them a snowy vibe to match his white surroundings. and the songs play into the "listen to alone or with your significant other" vein. nonetheless, this album has changed my perception on a lot of things - forgive me if this is too much, but it is true. i'm including two of my favorites from the album.

bon iver - flume

bon iver - skinny love

from port.

up-and-coming artists are becoming a commonality among the blog universe, thanks to networking sites and musical segmentation - both of which have their perks and their negatives.

but i've got to say that the california-based port o'brien is on my list of newcomers that take my breath away. they've accomplished acclaim from the likes of m. ward and tegan and sara, as well as numerous critics - this one included. their songs have this air of seamanship that is completely derivative of van pierszalowski's fisherman background. expect nautical folk and rock when listening to these guys and you should be alright. their first lp came out last month and is entitled all we could do was sing. i'll include one from that release, as well as one of my other favorites.

port o'brien - i woke up today

port o'brien - five and dime

dance away, do the twist.

alright, first off, let me apologize for it being quite a while since i've last posted some good music for you guys and gals to listen to. with that said, allow me to jump right in.

these united states deserve a lot of acclaim for their new album, a picture of the three of us at the gate to the garden of eden. these guys have managed to compose a group of songs so toe-tappingly fun, that it's easy to overlook the lyrics, which are top-notch in my humble opinion. i pride myself on being a huge fan of music that makes me dance - not very well and not at all dirty. and these guys have been waking me up every morning wriggling and squirming out from under the covers. their music puts a smile on my face that doesn't go away until i'm half-way through my 8am class, which is saying a lot for me.

Also, be sure to check out their live ep, entitled daytrotter sessions, for the wonderful studio whose website can be found at daytrotter.com. i'll include three of their songs: two from the ep and one from the lp - in that order. enjoy and keep on coming back if you're digging the tunes.

these united states - already got a girl who calls me that

these united states - first sight

these united states - jenni anne