The Countryside make a mellow, mournful, haunting sound on their debut album, Beggars On Horseback. It's the brainchild of Irish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Graeme Slattery (former guitarist with The Devlins) and charts his journey from city dweller to his new home in a converted 17th century stable in the countryside of County Wicklow. As someone who's lived most of his life staring out across misty moorland and rainswept pastures, I found the album hugely evocative - and it helps that Graeme counts among his influences Paddy McAloon, Roddy Frame and The Blue Nile.
You can hear listen to the full album here. It's available to download from evil iTunes and other digital retailers (I'd recommend the latter).
Good on PJ Harvey for her victory at this year's Mercury Music Prize with a record that's actually about something. Let England Shake isn't her most immediate record, but persevere and you'll soon be clasping it to your bosom. A brave, thought-provoking and majestically sad record that proves award ceremonies don't have to be all about the bling.
And finally, this. The soundtrack to Super 8 breathes new life into a number of early 80s gems. It's great to see some love given to My Sharona by The Knack... but I rarely need an excuse to dig out the ELO. Their records never fail to brighten up a movie score. Don't bring me down.
The Mixtape Lives On... is coming.
