Comprised of Jamie Cameron and Luke Hayden, they create a sprawling, expansive blend of progressive folk to drop the jaw. Debut album Hooray! For Happiness contains such emotion and honesty that experiencing this band feels like a first meeting rather than a listen. May I introduce you to “Home”, and The Last Dinosaur. Enjoy.

Album Hooray! For Happiness is available now.

Due to a combination of a heavy work load and crippling laziness (mostly the laziness, I’m not gonna lie to you), these endeavours took somewhat of a back seat. But no more! CheckeredShirt will once again be bringing you the best in music and media in an honest, straight forward manner.

Add to that the addition of interviews, reviews, think pieces and more, and you have something worth waiting for. Yes, even an eight month wait. Honest.

(Image courtesy of skattersketch)

The latest effort from film god Quentin Tarantio, it follows a group of Jewish American soldiers across Europe during WWII. Their quest is simple: to kill as many Nazis as possible. Nicknamed “The Basterds” the troop is headed by Lt. Aldo Raine, superbly portrayed by Brad Pitt, and brings dry wit to some typically gory subject matter.

Far from being a one man film there are several stand out performances, most notably Christopher Waltz as the chilling”Jew Hunter” Hans Landa.

Being a solid Tarantion fan, there really are not enough words of praise for this film. Once again the perfect blend of violence, humour and stunning cinematography makes for a fantastic film.

(Image courtesy of collider.com)

Glastonbury Festival has announced that it will be showing an England World Cup game live on the Pyramid stage screens. The match versus Slovenia will be broadcast on Wednesday June 23rd, surely delighting football fans across the country.

Despite this, organiser Emily Eavis has refused to confirm whether England’s following game, should they progress from the group, will also be broadcast.

The legendary festival will be celebrating it’s 40th Anniversary this June, with universal bores U2 already confirmed to headline the event.

(Image courtesy of Ning)

Having recently completed a joint tour with Delphic, the trio will be taking in ten venues all over the country.

Being a big fan, this is certainly another thing to check out in the coming year. For a bit of background on the band, scroll down to read my post and have a listen.

Two Door Cinema Club will play:

Bristol Thekla – 9th (March)

Leeds Cockpit – 10th

Sheffield Academy – 11th

York Fibbers – 12th

Glasgow King Tuts – 14th

Newcastle The Other Rooms – 15th

Birmingham Academy 2 – 17th

London Hoxton Bar & Grill – 18th

Oxford Academy – 19th

Manchester Deaf Institute – 20th

(Image courtesy of Jamie Adamson)

Entitled Acolyte, it will be released on January 11th. Recorded mainly in Berlin, it will feature ten tracks including the massive “This Momentary”.

The complete list is as follows:

1. “Clarion Call”
2. “Doubt”
3. “This Momentary”
4. “Red Lights”
5. “Acolyte”
6. “Halcyon”
7. “Submission”
8. “Counterpoint”
9. “Ephemera”
10. “Remain”

Even so early on in the year, it will no doubt prove to be a must have. Reserve your copy now.

(Image courtesy of Last Gas Station)

The album will once again be produced by M Ward following their collaboration on her debut attempt, aptly titled Volume One. Ward will also be offering music contributions, with it’s entirety being written by Deschanel.

Having never head her music, I will be very interested come the album’s release. If she’s as talented a singer as she is actress, we could be in for a real treat.

(Image courtesy of Wood Chipped)

To make up for it, I’ve got an artist that many of you would have heard, but probably not been aware of. Having sung with Damien Rice for many years, songstress Lisa Hannigan stepped out on her own in May this year. With her beautiful tone and endearing songs, she has lost none of her appeal she had amongst Rice’s melodies.

Although sticking to folk, Hannigan has managed to stamp her own identity on her music to prove she is more than a mere supporting act. From her debut album Sea Sew, this is the gloriously titled “Splishy Splashy”

Debut album Sea Sew is available now.

As well as music, it will also feature video and multimedia content. And as if that is not enough, a partnership with Apple means that in one click, users will be able to download their favourite tracks via iTunes.

Kasabian and Delphic last night performed at London’s Club Heaven as part of the official launch party.

(Image courtesy of 3.bp)

Anyway, to start I would like to introduce the marvelous Interpol and their album Antics. Their second album released in 2004, it marks their progression from accomplished, edgy artists to polished musicians. Featuring the sparse arrangements that made them so successful, it is the pulsing bass lines and the striking vocals of Paul Banks that really grab the attention.

It also marks their arrival in the popular market, with the album thrusting them into the spotlight. After a period of not listening to them I played the album in it’s entirety recently, and it is an instant reminder of why such a talented band should not be ignored.

Despite it being virtually impossible to pick a stand out track, I have selected my personal favourite “Slow Hands”. Currently featured on a popular advert, it showcases every inch of the band’s talents. With deft touches and minimalist ideas, here is the official video.

Track Listing:

1. “Next Exit” – 3:20
2. “Evil” – 3:35
3. “NARC” – 4:07
4. “Take You on a Cruise” – 4:54
5. “Slow Hands” – 3:04
6. “Not Even Jail” – 5:46
7. “Public Pervert” – 4:40
8. “C’mere” – 3:11
9. “Length of Love” – 4:06
10. “A Time to Be So Small” – 4:50

(Image courtesy of Artists Direct)