Judging by “Pennies Found,” the Holiday Crowd are St. Morrissey’s latest acolytes. Also judging by “Pennies Found,” the Toronto band’s taking their religious obligations seriously: it’s excellent while sounding thoroughly like the Smiths, a tall order for anyone not named Johnny or Steven. The band’s debut album is out now on Shelflife and New Romantic. (Via Eardrums)

This is totally just British Jason Mraz BUT I LOVE IT. Stick around for the synth breakdown at the end. One concern: no Robert Pattinson/water/elephants cameo? Hear more from the band on Rdio or your cloud player of choice and look for a proper debut later this year.

I spent most of last night watching Fiona Apple performance videos on YouTube. She’s so remarkable live, so intelligent and brave, that the performances shine on despite the long-lost layers of video quality that the clips may have had upon their original airings. Nevertheless, it should be a crime for her Vevo page to carry the official video for “Paper Bag” — directed by P.T. Anderson during their late ’90s romance, and featuring adorable choreography, kids in Dick Tracy suits and Fiona Apple smiling — in anything less than 1080p. I’d never seen it; until last night, I didn’t know it existed. A few more Apple hits from my video surfing after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »

A lovely, Joshua Tree-set video for First Aid Kit’s sparkling country homage. Play it as loud as your heartstrings will bear.

I’ve spent most of the past 18 months obsessing over Standard Fare’s The Noyelle Beat, a relationship vivisection as charismatic and emotionally potent as any electric break-up record since Cursive’s Domestica. In March 2010 (at SXSW, it appears), Groupee captured the band tearing through a handful of the album’s best songs like hungry bears. Please join me in putting these on loop. Bonus points to singer Emma Kupa for the Absolutely Kosher shirt, R.I.P. All the videos after the jump, more goodness on Groupee.com. “Love Doesn’t Just Stop,” above, and duet “A Night with a Friend” are particularly scorching. Read the rest of this entry »

For those for whom wounded folk feels like balm upon a wound, you’ll find fine medicine in Keaton Henson. The London songwriter’s music is almost violently spare, offering just enough melody and feeling to carve his way into your heart. Like Nick Drake before him, he’s intensely shy and has decided to avoid traditional forms of performance, opting instead, for now at least, to make performance videos — like this one.

(Henson’s Dear… is due Feb. 27)

Previously: Video: Keaton Henson – “You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are”

Let’s start the year off right. Like Jens Lekman’s “Cowboy Boots,” one of the best songs of 2011 didn’t get an official release last year. I had the pleasure of watching the Mountain Goats play triumphant high school ode “You Were Cool” twice last year; here’s a nice, professionally shot take from his Lollapalooza performance. We may get a recorded version sooner than later: the last time I saw the band, at the Troubadour in December, John Darnielle all but promised another record: “Unlike those navel-gazers who release 12 tracks every year,” he said, “I put in work. Because I’m grateful to be here, so I owe people music.” Aw, John, I think you’ve got that backward.

Be safe, pals. See you in 2k12. Also: (500) Days of Summer forever. Watch Nellie McKay’s (even better?!) version after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »